Son of the Dragon
by Anonymous Psychofan
Summary: After the sudden death of Integra, Alucard takes Seras to his homeland. But something lurks in the halls of Castle Draculae, something that has been centuries asleep. History takes a vampiric twist. The Son of the Dragon will rise again. AxS
1. Farewell to Hellsing

Hello, my eager readers, whose minds I have every intention of corrupting with wonderfully pointless junk fiction and backwards tales of history. "Ut Proism" is on temporary hold in honor of the release of my newest story, Son of the Dragon. This is not a sequal to my other stories- it takes place about five years after the start of the manga (so it is entirely manga/Hellsing OVA based) and does not involve the themes in the anime series. I hate how the anime builds the relationships between the characters- it makes Alucard look weak, Integra look like a villain and Seras like a moron. And most importantly- it leaves Pip out!!!! He's like... THE BEST CHARACTER!!!!! One of these days, I'm going to write a fic about him. Oh, yeah, I just got a new puppy, and guess what I named him? Pip! Duh. Of course, I just tell people he's named after the Great Expectations character, but we all know the real meaning of the name... he's a ladies man and he crawls all over me. (I'm a girl, just in case anyone DIDN'T know). Okay, enough bunny trails- back to the story. This fic will pull characters and organizations from history and give them a lovely vampiric nature. Let me know what you think! R&R

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever (officially) own Hellsing... enjoy! XD

_- _

_We will sleep until this plague has passed. The __Ordinul Dragonului will rise again. We entrust our council to the son of the dragon, until the time has come for us to awaken, and once more rule the world we created for ourselves._

_-_

Thunder rumbled distantly in the field of gray, gloomy clouds as rain slowly drifted from the sky, pooling along the sleek, black coffin lid before sliding to the ground and soaking deep into the already moist earth. A small cluster of dark umbrellas stood beside the grave, their owners watching with graven faces as the coffin slowly sank below the ground line, disappearing into the dark of its final resting place. A line of soldiers stood at attention opposite the spectators, the rain running in tiny rivulets down the barrels of their rifles, which were raised as a sign of respect to the occupant of the coffin. The words on the marble tombstone were as dreary as the day.

_Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing_

-

"Police Girl..."

The petite, blond uncurled, pushing her arms above her head so that her large breasts strained against her black tank top.

"Master...?" Seras Victoria said, opening her large ruby eyes and yawning, flashing her pearly white fangs. She blinked looking around. "Master?" she asked again. But their was no sign of the elder vampire anywhere.

For a moment, she was a little disoriented, confused about why she had been sleeping in a chair instead of her usual coffin. And then she realized that she had been curled on the seat of a train compartment. Night scenes were still rushing past the window, snow-capped mountains and thick green woods, all wrapped in a thick blanket of night that was like daylight to her unnatural eyes. She frowned, trying to remember why she was there.

_Oh, that's right,_ she thought weakly. _That c-car crash... and Sir Integra is..._

She shuddered, remembering the sight of the wreckage. Of course, she had thought that Alucard would take the body back to Hellsing and that they would at least stay for the funeral. But even as she had run to the mangled body of the heiress, Alucard had intercepted her, his crimson eyes gleaming.

"We need to leave," he had said. And that was the end of it. Next thing she knew, Seras was on a plane to Paris and from there, they had taken a train in the direction of Romania.

_We must be almost there,_she thought sleepily, watching the blur of colors beyond the glass.

"I wouldn't have woken you up otherwise," said Alucard, his long, slender form filling the doorway. "You're far easier to deal with when you're asleep." His black hair floated along behind him, moving with a mind of its own.

Seras jumped at his voice, and then blushed at his words. "Yes, Master," she murmured, averting her eyes to the floor. Alucard stared at her quizzically for a moment, and then sat opposite her and turned his own gaze to the window, frowning slightly.

They spent the next ten minutes in silence, Seras nervously fidgeting and shooting furtive glances at her master while he ignored he altogether, his arms folded across his chest, his sunglasses glinting in the faint light pouring into the compartment from the hallway.

When the train final began to slow, Seras was so surprised that she got her feet. Alucard fixed her with another calculating stare and she quickly sat, waiting for the train to screech to a halt before she rose again.

It pulled into an older, magnificent station, with white stone walls and smooth marble floors. The word 'Bucuresti' was carved into the stone outside the platform. The station was quite crowded, even though it was late at night. People carrying suitcases and coats jumped in and out of trains, clambering outside of ticket booths, calling farewells to their loved ones in a language Seras did not understand.

"This is the capital of Romania, Police Girl," said Alucard simply as she eyed the word 'Bucuresti' curiously. "Take a good look, because we will not be here long."

"Can we go outside and see the city?" she asked eagerly, feeling a breeze drift in through a pair of open doors at the far end of the station tunnel.

"Our train arrives in twenty four minutes," Alucard said simply. "You may very briefly look."

Seras smiled and hurried towards the doors, carefully creeping outside and looking carefully at the world beyond. Her mouth nearly dropped.

The city was brightly lit and busy, with cars speeding down the road and buildings glimmering in the headlights. The city was ancient, or so the architecture of the limestone buildings suggested, with their large marble pillars and bronze domed rooftops. It reminded her vaguely of some pictures she'd seen of Italy, though by the shape of the domes she imagined that there was a lot of Russian influence in this city as well.

Either way, it stole her breath... or at least it would have if she'd have any breath to steal. For some reason, she had imagined that Romania would not be quite so beautiful. Perhaps it was because it was not widely renowned like Rome or Paris. But it was, without a doubt, the most beautiful place she had ever seen in her life.

"Enjoying yourself, Police Girl?"

Seras let out a small sound like a squeak and turned to face him, mentally yelling at herself, w_hy do you always get surprised? You should be used to him by now!_

"Yes, Master," she said, forcing a smile. "It's a very beautiful city."

"I'm glad you approve," he replied, though his tone suggested that it would not have mattered to him if she had _despised_ his country of origin.

"Perhaps you would let me come back here again, sometime when I don't have a train to catch," she suggested hopefully. This city would be wonderful to explore!

Alucard said nothing. That meant 'no.' Fine; she could handle that. Afterall, she wouldn't be bound to him forever, and once she was free she would travel the world and go to any and every city of her choosing.

"Time to go, Police Girl," Alucard said abruptly, and for some reason, there was a hint of anger to his voice. She followed him wordlessly back into the station, just as a train pulled up. Seras watched it with interest; it was a steam engine, smoke billowing down the bright green and gold exterior. The old-fashioned shape of it differed greatly from the sleek, modern train that had carried them from Paris. They boarded silently, Seras trustingly trotting along in the wake of her master until he found a compartment that suited him and walked in side, leaving the door open for her to follow.

Seras slid the door shut behind her and settled into a seat, determinately not looking at her master. She tried to refrain from any silly questions like, "How long till we get there," or "where are we going?" With Alucard, you just had to trust his decisions and pray that they didn't get you into a sticky situation.

And then, quite suddenly, Alucard got to his feet and left without so much as hint as to where he was going. Seras glared at his retreating back, but chose not to lecture him about keeping her in the dark, as she thought he might take it to literally and lock her in her coffin for a month.

She tucked her legs underneath her as the train started to move, and closed her eyes, hoping she would be able to sleep, even though it was well after midnight.

"Bilet?"

Seras opened her eyes and stared up to see a man standing over her, his hand outstretched expectantly.

"Bilet?" the man repeated, a little more forcibly this time. Seras stared at him. He seemed to be some sort of train conductor. When she continued to stare at him without action he leaned forward with a glare and grabbed her arm, trying to force her from the seat.

"Tu ţinere ei bilet," said a voice harshly from behind them. Alucard had returned, his glasses held loosely in his hand, his eyes staring into those of the conductor.

The conductor mumbled some sort of apology and then continued down the corridor, a strangely blissful smile on his face. Alucard entered the compartment, but was not alone. Behind him followed a smiling, teenage boy.

He was babbling happily to Alucard, who seemed to be ignoring him.

"Master?" Seras asked uneasily, looking at the boy, who had no begun to look her up and down like a hungry wolf.

"This should solve the language problem," he said, shoving the man towards her.

"I-is he a translator?" Seras asked, though she was sure that could not be the case.

"Perhaps you recall that draining a human being seals a part of them within you, or have you so quickly forgotten your lover, Pip?"

Seras flushed. "He wasn't my..."

"Regardless, Police Girl, he is now a permanent part of you, as will be this boy. By draining him, you will absorb his knowledge, including his language. So drink."

"What?" Seras gasped, staring with horror at the young male who was no looking from her to Alucard with a slightly apprehensive smile. "I can't! Not hear... not now..."

"It wasn't a suggestion, Seras."

She swallowed. If he was using her real name, he must really want this. She shifted uneasily, torn between displeasing her master and taking a life. It had been several months since she'd fed from a live source and she wasn't entirely certain she was up for it.

"Police Girl," Alucard sounded impatient, "Do you think Hellsing's going to keep sending you donated blood in plastic bags?" His intensive gaze sent chills down her spine.

"N-no, I suppose not," she mumbled, finally understanding. Either she fed from live sources, or not at all. "But, Master, I can't right now, I'm not hungry."

"There are easy ways to fix that," Alucard said, shutting the door to the compartment. He hit the boy over the head so that he passed out and slumped onto the seat beside Seras at an awkward angle. She shifted slightly away from the unconscious body, trying to repress the feeling of disgust growing in her stomach.

But the feeling vanished in an instant when her master bent down to her level, snaked his hand beneath her chin and brought her face close to his.

"Master?" she asked softly, trying to understand what he was doing. The closeness caused a thick blush to creep onto her face.

"Just relax," he said, his eyes boring into her own.

_Hypn-hypnosis..._ she realized, as her thoughts began to slip. _No!_ Something in the back of her head argued. Why was she fighting? This was for her own good, wasn't it?

"Master, I don't want..." she faintly protested.

"I said relax," he replied, running his index finger over her bottom lip, causing her heart to race.

_So easily excited, _he thought with a chuckle.

Seras blinked staring up at him. "Master?" she whispered, entirely uncertain if she should say anything at all.

"What, Police Girl?" He was frowning at her, obviously troubled by something. Perhaps he had already read her thoughts and was angry at her for being so presumptuous.

"I think I read your mind," she said quietly.

He raised an eyebrow. _Impossible._

"No, Master, it's not impossible," she said in awe. "I just did it again."

Alucard released her, staring down at her with his eyes narrowed. Then after scrutinizing her for a few minutes, he smiled darkly. "Well done, Police Girl. It seems you've finally learned something."

"So, I can really read your thoughts?" Seras asked eagerly. "You weren't speaking into my head?"

"You were able to tell the difference, were you not?" Alucard asked.

"Yes... it was less like speaking, more like a stream of images accompanying a vague concept," she replied.

"Well put, Police Girl."

Seras could not have been any brighter is she had been alight. Her cheeks glowed warmly, so pleased that she had finally made her master proud for the first time in her life.

"I should warn you, Police Girl, now that you've learned to read minds, I will be blocking you out of my thoughts. And I recommend that you share this ability with no one."

"Who would I share it with?" she said with a laugh. "Dinner?" she gestured to the boy still slumped on the seat beside her.

Alucard smirked. "And yet, you haven't touched him."

Seras, still beaming, so happy with the reaction from her pleased master, pulled the sleeping boy to her and sank her fangs in without a second thought, drinking deeply of the warm liquid. She felt Alucard's eyes upon her the entire time, sensed the manic grin distorting his beautiful features. And the thought thrilled her and made her hungrier.

When she had finished, she dropped the body to the floor, a long stream of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth to the v of her breasts. Licking her lips she began to eye Alucard with a thirsty stare, her eyes fixated on the side of his neck.

"Calm down, Police Girl," Alucard instructed. "There will be a time and place for that; this is not it."

"Of course, Master," she said, crossing the compartment and placing a hand on his chest. She leaned up and licked the side of his neck.

"You are not a very good listener," he said, amusement in his voice. Gently, he removed her from him, setting her on the seat beside him.

"Master!" Seras whined, struggling against him.

"Go to sleep, Police Girl," he said, touching his fingers to her forehead. Instantly a thick cloud of black shadows overpowered her brain, pushing her into a deep sleep. She rested her head against her master's shoulder and closed her eyes, sighing happily.

Alucard stared down at her, his face still stretched into a quizzical expression. Carefully, he ran his finger along the narrow trail of blood and brought it to his lips, tasting the blood. He then smiled and twisted so that he could lick the crimson liquid off her pale skin.

Seras squirmed when his tongue reached the v of her breasts. "Master..." she mumbled in her sleep, snuggling closer to his much larger figure.

At this point, Alucard drew back and turned his gaze to the world outside the window. With a boot, he kicked the body of the boy under the seat, still licking his lips and allowing himself to slip into deep thought.

-

So that's the end of the first chapter- a little short but hopefully not too bad- and for those of you worried about Ut Proism, don't... I'll get it done, once inspiration hits again. It's just that I've been wanting to do this fic for a long time and it kept distracting me. So enjoy! And check back later for the next chappie! REVIEW!


	2. From the Catacombs

A/N: Seras was in bloodlust when she tried to seduce Alucard at the end of the chapter. Also, she drinks blood regularly at this point in the story, just not usually from a live source so it wasn't very hard for her to eat the boy on the train. The only reason she didn't eat him right off the bat is a small amount of humanity and she really wasn't hungry. Also, this story is based purely off of history, so there's no stuff about Mina or Lucy or anything else Bram related. Alright, just thought I'd throw that out there. XD Enjoy the fic!

_- _

_Police Girl... time to wake up._

Seras shook her head, snuggling closer to her pillow. "Not now, Master. I'm sleeping," she mumbled.

"Police Girl. Now."

The dangerous edge in his voice was noticeable enough that she quickly opened her eyes, trying to sit up. A hand across her shoulders held her fast, preventing this action. Seras shook her head and blinked, staring up.

The sky was dark, with a faint pink on the horizon, suggesting that dawn was nearing. Why was she outside? Seras blinked again, and saw her master above her, his eyes staring ahead. She suddenly realized where she was.

"M-master!" she spluttered. He was carrying her in his arms while she slept. "Where are we?"

"Wallachia," he said simply. Seras thought she detected a slightly warm note to his voice.

"This is... your home?" she asked carefully.

Alucard halted, still not looking at her. He set her on the ground and immediately she felt her breath escape her. They were surrounded by mountains and thick woods. The grass beneath her feet was tall and damp enough to soak through her long stockings, causing her to shiver, not so much from the temperature as the feel. They seemed to be in some sort of meadow; nearby she could hear the sounds of running water.

"Master?" she said uneasily. She felt a strong urge to duck behind him, and hide from this strange new place. Yet at the same time, it appealed strongly to her, coaxing her from his side. She began to walk about curiously, sniffing at the air, listening to the sounds. Distantly, she could hear the sounds of howling.

"Werewolves?" Seras asked, turning with a smile to look at her master.

He seemed annoyed, though not by her question. "Possibly," he replied, without so much as a glance in her direction. "Or it may be ordinary wolves. Both are common and neither are your concern."

"Y-yes, Sir," she said with a frown. "But I thought that werewolves and vampires were natural enemies or something."

"Our only 'natural enemy' is mankind, Police Girl," Alucard said smoothly. "Clearly we spent too long serving them. Or perhaps I was too distant with you as a master. Humans are not companions, Seras. Nor are they pets. Nor masters. They are food, and nothing more."

Seras felt her face turn hot with anger. "So, why did you keep me? I was human when we met."

"And I devoured you, did I not?" Alucard pointed out. "Perhaps you have been to a restaurant where you taste a particular dish that you like, and you decide to take the leftovers home with you for later. Most fledglings are something to that effect."

Leftovers? Seras stared at him with a slight smile. "Master, I don't think that's the best analogy. Leftovers get old and have to be thrown away."

"So do many fledglings," he retorted.

"Then why am I still here?" she asked, trying to ignore the sting his words instilled in her.

"I said many, not all."

Seras looked at the ground, feeling the color burning in her cheeks. "D-do you want me to leave, Master?" she asked, staring at her boots.

"Police Girl, I want you to look up about thirty degrees from the way you are facing now and tell me what you see between the mountains."

Seras obeyed, her eyes glowing slightly as they fixed on a divide between the ridges, following it down until it rested on a very peculiar sight. She could just see what looked like a turret silhouetted against the pale shape of the full moon, a tattered banner fluttering lightly in some unseen (and more strangely, unfelt) breeze. Her eyes narrowed, her vampiric vision sharpening as she followed the turret downward and saw a vast castle of sorts, with white, limestone walls and thick, copper rooftops. It sat high within the mountains, several thousand feet above where they currently stood so that no man could climb to it even with the proper gear.

"This, Police Girl, is the Valley of Arefu. And _that_, is Castle Draculae. It will be your home so long as you need it."

"Dracula's castle?!" Seras exclaimed, letting out a happy laugh as she took off across the meadow. "I feel like I fell into a fairy tale!"

She felt an arm snake around her waist, and Alucard threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Master!" Seras said angrily, trying to break free of his iron grasp.

"It would be rather silly to lose you to something like a falling rock when I took such precautions to bring you all the way from London in one piece," Alucard said simply. "I'll carry you until you have learned the way. Or gained some coordination."

Alucard leaped with inhuman speed and agility up the side of the mountain, rebounding off of vertical rock faces and narrow ledges until they had reached the end of their climb.

"How will I ever learn the way if you move so fast?" Seras complained as he set her down. She had no more time for words as her breath escaped her in awe of the massive castle before her. It was even more stunning from so close. Gargoyles crouched along the roof tops and stone balconies added aesthetic dimension to the building. Two large wooden doors stood before them, wrought with massive iron knockers.

"Master, it's so beautiful!" she said wistfully, trotting towards the gate and leaning against it, inhaling the smell of the old wood. "I could live here forever! I mean-" she tried to sound apologetic. "Not that I'm going to, or anything. Just for a little bit..."

Alucard moved so quickly he seemed to disappear and was seconds later leaning over her, one hand on either side of her head, pinning her against the door. Seras felt the matter dissolving behind her and knew that a portal had formed. She stepped through without complaint, more to escape the uncomfortably close situation with her master than to get inside. He followed her silently.

Inside, Seras began to look around, curious about anything and everything that was a tie to her master's past. The entrance hall was vast, with dirty marble floors and a large split staircase. Several doors led off into various regions of the castle. Seras scampered around like an excited child, examining the old dust lined paintings, and cobweb hung chandeliers, and long forgotten torch brackets. Strange, uneven pillars wound up to the ceiling high above, each different from the one before but all beautiful.

"Police Girl," Alucard said calmly. She returned to his side where he put an arm around her and kept her from running off again. He then raised his free hand, concentrated for a moment, and watched with satisfaction as his magic took hold of the castle. Seras found it strangely akin to falling backward through time, watching as the cobwebs unspun themselves, the dirt blew from the floor and the stains melted away from the carpet, leaving it a healthy crimson color. By the end of it, the building was unrecognizable. It looked like a palace, with the torches crackling merrily along the walls, casting an eerie warmth into the entrance hall.

"Come, Seras," Alucard said, walking to the back of the massive staircase and opening a door that seemed to lead beneath it. "We have work to do. Or rather, _I_ have work to do, and you will watch obediently without distracting me."

"Yes, my master," she said, following behind him as he led her down a long stone staircase. The torches here were lit, too. It seemed the castle was constantly lit at very little cost to its owner. The flickering lights illuminated stone walls, suggesting that they were entering into some sort of basement.

The staircase twisted and curved, leading them deep into the ground, far deeper than Seras had previously expected. She began to shiver with anticipation, grateful, as she often was, that she was a vampire and not an easily killed human. She moved a little closer to her master, a hand unconsciously curling around the fabric of his sleeve.

"Nervous, Seras?"

"Master, why have you been calling me 'Seras'?" she asked pointedly, not relinquishing her hold.

"Why?" he asked. "Do you object?"

"N-no! Of course not, sir!" she said quickly, shaking her head vigorously.

"I have my reasons. It is mostly to break myself of using the name 'Police Girl'. Such a name will have no meaning here."

"I... see..."

"Do you?" he asked with a smirk. They had reached the bottom of the staircase, and another door stood in their way. Alucard phased them through it. Seras gasped.

"It's a tomb," she whispered, large eyes staring around in surprise.

"A catacomb," Alucard corrected. Shriveled corpses lay flat in shelves in the walls all the way around the vast room.

"Fine," Seras said shuddering. "What are we doing here?"

"Let me briefly explain. The bodies you see here are not the bodies of humans. They are vampires, awaiting the return of the one who can wake them."

"Vampies? All of them?" Seras asked in awe, staring around.

Alucard was not listening, he had walked to one corpse in particular, leaning over it and studying it for a moment. Then (he seemed to identify it) he slit his wrist with a fang, and held it over the mouth of the corpse.

Seras watched in horror as flesh began to crawl across the shriveled skin, filling it; long, silver hair grew from the scalp. The eyes slowly opened, and there lay perhaps the most beautiful man Seras had ever seen in her life.

"It's been a long time, Sigismund," Alucard said with a wry smile.

"How long?" he asked. Seras almost sighed at the sound of his voice. It was like thunder- powerful and smooth.

"Over three hundred years," Alucard said. "Hellsing proved a fiercer enemy than any of us had anticipated. He succeeded in sealing me to his bloodline."

"But you spoke nothing of the organization?"

"No. Your sleep has gone undisturbed."

Alucard rose, and moved to the next corpse, repeating the action. One by one, the vampires rose, joining Sigismund in the center of the floor, their beautiful faces passive. There were thirteen males and a growing population of females. Seras was surprised to see so many draculinas in one place when she had never encountered more than one at a time.

_They are not draculinas, Police Girl. _You _are a Draculina, in the literal sense of the word. You were made by Dracula; these women are not mine._

_Master, I don't understand, _Seras said uncomfortably. _Who are these people?_

_The men are _draconists._ The women are their wives and concubines, depending._

_What is a draconist?_ Seras asked.

_I'll explain later._

"Welcome, my friends," said Alucard, "to reality. Did you enjoy your naps?" The vampires chuckled, though Seras did not see how it was funny. "Let us move upstairs where we can better talk and where my fledgling does not look so much like a frightened kitten."

Thirty pairs of crimson eyes flicked in the direction of Seras, who flushed a dark red and tried to look a little braver. She then felt an arm snake around her waist as Alucard pulled her against him and began to walk towards the stairs.

_Master, what are you doing? _ She asked, feeling hot even though she was pressed against his cold body.

_Claiming you. This will keep the other males away from you if they think you are mine._

Seras smiled slightly. _I _am_ yours, Master._

They ascended the steps, the entire crowd silent. When they were once more in the entrance hall, Alucard led them through a pair of double doors into what looked like some sort of banquet hall. Once the men were all in and seated, the woman curtsied and began to exit. Alucard glanced at Seras, who quickly did the same. The doors shut behind her as she exited, and she sighed heavily.

"You are very young, aren't you?" said a cool voice. Seras turned to find the twenty or so females watching her curiously.

"It's been five years since Alucard turned me," Seras replied uneasily, unsure of what else to say.

"Alucard?" the vampiress looked confused.

"D-dracula," Seras corrected. "When I met him, he used a different name. It was the name that Hellsing gave to him, or so I am told."

"So you served Hellsing as well," the woman prompted.

Seras shook her head. "I served my master, and only my master."

"May I ask your name?" the woman asked politely.

"Seras Victoria," she replied. "And yours?"

"Barbara," she said with a faint smile. "My husband Sigismund is second in command of the council. So that always made me the head of the ladies, since Vlad never had a permanent bride. But you are his mate, no? So, I will step down, and give you power."

"No!" Seras gasped. "I'm just his fledgling, not his mate. You should keep the head."

"Unusual," Barbara murmured. "It does not sound like Vlad to create a fledgling that is not his bride."

"He did it to save my life," said Seras quickly. "He gave me a choice and I chose him over death."

"It is equally unusual that he would show compassion to a human. I find it hard to believe that he was not aware of your body or your face when he chose how to act."

Seras was flushing deeply. Of course she had always wondered why Alucard had bothered to save her, but she had always known better than to question it too much. Perhaps Alucard would finally tell her the truth.

Abruptly the doors opened and the men began pouring out. They found their ladies (some had two or three each) and began filing up the grand staircase, always in silence.

"Seras, come here."

She turned, and saw that Alucard was still in the banquet hall, sitting in the chair at the head of the table, watching her.

"Yes, Master?" she asked slowly, walking in. She did not sit, but stood, awaiting his orders.

"You've caused problems," he said, his expression impossible to read.

"How, Sir?" she inquired, though she did not doubt his words. She always managed to cause problems, no matter what she did.

"Do you recall that when we came from the catacombs I told you that I was claiming you to protect you from the other males?"

"Y-yes, Sir," she agreed, her face flushing.

"Perhaps you forget that vampires have very acute hearing. You just claimed you were not my mate."

"Of course," Seras said quickly, turning redder. "I'm just your fledgling."

"No, now you are fair game to every other vampire in this castle," he said, and he looked truly disappointed in her. "Do you think that they will not try to take you?"

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing," Seras mumbled, thinking of Sigismund's stunningly pale face.

Alucard chuckled darkly, watching her curiously. "My dear Seras, do you honestly think that any of the vampires here will settle for casual flirting? They will have you in bed whether you want it or not, the moment they find you alone or hurt. And do you think they will be gentle because you are a virgin? Do you think they will care if you scream all night long?" Seras was mouthing wordlessly at him, completely unable to speak. How could he be so blunt? Alucard sighed and placed his chin in his hand, his eyes never leaving her face. "You are, regrettably, quite attractive, and you are aging well. They feel that any woman I considered 'worthy' enough to turn must be worth obtaining. I suppose many assume that I am unwilling to commit to a bride, and thought you were the one who almost made me sway from that."

"Master, I think you're blowing this out of proportion," Seras said quietly. "There are so many other vampiresses here- I'm sure no one even gave me a second thought."

"Oh, of course, not. No one would ever glance twice at the beautiful blond with the flawless figure."

Seras, in spite of herself, began to laugh, clutching at her sides as she succombed to a fit of giggles. Alucard raised a long, thin eyebrow, watching her. "I'm... s-sorry, Master," she gasped, trying to repress her laughter. "I-It's just... I've never heard you be so sarcastic before." She calmed herself, before continuing, "But thank you, Master, for being so honest with me. It makes me feel a little more worthwhile to know that you at least find me attractive physically."

"I should warn you, Seras," Alucard said, as though her last few sentences had gone unheard, "That the women will still look to you for guidance, even though you denounced the title of 'bride'. Vampire society is very different from human society. The female of the vampire king is considered the queen, whether she sleeps with the king or not."

"But, Master! I'm the youngest one here! These women are far more experienced than I am!"

"But you have greater potential. Blood lines are strong among our kind. There is a human saying, something about apples never falling far from their trees. You are expected to grow more powerful than the other females, and therefore are given the higher status."

"Master, that doesn't make sense," Seras complained, shaking her head. "What if your mate was of a weak bloodline. Would she still be 'queen'?"

"To be chosen by a powerful vampire is no small thing either, Seras," Alucard said patiently. Seras opened her mouth to argue, but Alucard shook his head. "Dawn came two hours ago," he informed her. You should be sleeping." He rose and walked to her, leading her from the room. "I will explain this council to you when you wake."

They entered the entrance hall, and like a whip, Alucard's eyes snapped to a lone figure leaning against the wall. Seras curiously followed his gaze and saw a man there, his crimson eyes fixed on her, despite Alucard's presence.

"Vlad, aren't you going to introduce us?" he asked silkily. His voice was very much like Alucard's, like velvet woven into words. Short dark hair fell across his eyes, casting a shadow over his face. He was tall and lean, with a slightly manic grin that was all-too-familiar.

"Radu," Alucard said calmly. There was a slight smile fighting with the frown on his lips. "It has been too long."

"For you perhaps," Radu said with a smirk, sauntering towards them. "To me, it feels like just yesterday you put us to sleep. And yet here we are, four hundred years later. I heard you got to be a lapdog, Vlad. Was that fun?"

"My master ordered me to destroy rogue vampires," Alucard said coldly.

Radu frowned. "A traitor? That's unexpected, though I suppose it couldn't be helped." He then turned his attention to Seras and smiled slightly. "At least some good came out of your little vacation," he took her hand and pressed it to his lips before saying, "I am Radu cel Frumos. It's a pleasure to meet you, Chiajna."

"Cel Frumos?" Seras repeated slowly. She looked from Radu to Alucard quizzically.

"It means, 'the handsome'," Alucard said carefully, his eyes glued to the other male. Seras could not argue with that. Radu was even more attractive than Sigismund. Alucard continued, "Titles are awarded based on deeds or noticable characteristics. Perhaps you could understand the origin of my name. Tepes? It means 'Impaler'."

Seras shuddered, recalling the incident in Brazil where Alucard had tossed a dozen men into the air and impaled them on the tips of flagpoles. She frowned, remembering something else. "But they also call you Draculae..."

"My father was Vlad II Dracul. Dracul means dragon. Draculae means son of the dragon. As his heir, I was awarded that title, even ahead of his eldest son."

Seras snapped her eyes to her master anxiously. "What do you mean, '_eldest_ son'?"

Alucard sighed. "Radu is my youngest brother," he admitted, still looking at the other male. Radu grinned at Seras' shocked expression.

"You have a brother?" she whispered in awe.

"Three," Alucard corrected. "Mircea, the oldest, was killed in battle at the same time as my father. Vlad Calugarul, the next son after me, denied the immortal life and joined a monastary. He also is deceased. Radu and I are the only remaining of our bloodline."

"For now," Radu corrected with a bold wink at Seras. She felt her heart flutter at the attention from such a beautiful male.

"Come, Seras, you are too young to be awake," Alucard intervened, putting his arm around her and leading her away from the handsome man.

"I'm not tired, Master," Seras said quickly. "I slept the whole train ride here."

Alucard ignored her and led her up the stairs. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Radu grin wolfishly at her. "Until later, Chiajna," he called. Alucard walked a little faster.

"Master, why did he call me 'Chiajna'?" she asked curiously.

"It means princess," Alucard said coldly.

"Are you mad, Master?" she asked slowly.

"Do you still think I am 'blowing things out of proportion'?" he asked fiercely.

"He was just flirting," Seras said with a shrug.

"Let him flirt with someone else," Alucard replied savagely. "I have half a mind to take you tonight and put an end to this charade."

Seras blushed darker than she ever had before. "Y-you're joking, right?"

Alucard did not reply. He phased her through a door on the second floor. "These will be your quarters from now on," he said calmly. The room was large and beautiful- it would have looked like the bedroom of a king had there not been a large black coffin in the center of the room. Seras was surprised to see that it was large enough for two vampires. Alucard cleared his throat and said, "This is my bedroom."

Seras let out a terrified squeak as Alucard took a step towards her. For some reason she could not bring herself to move, even as he leaned his head down to hers, his lips inches away from her own. She could smell the coppery scent of his breath, and it made her shiver. Then, Alucard drew back, looked away and sighed.

"Go to sleep, Police Girl," he said, walking to a desk and sitting down, propping his legs up and leaning back in the chair.

Seras smiled weakly. "So, I'm not Seras anymore?"

Alucard glanced at her, smirked devilishly and said, "Go to sleep, Chiajna. I will be here when you wake."

-

So, in reality, Vlad III Tepes had three brothers- I'm not making any of this up. Seriously. Except the part where all the characters, straight out of history, are vampires. But everything's more fun when you're a vampie, right? The only thing I was tempted to change was the name "Barbara" but I decided against it in the end. In real life, Barbara Cilli was the wife Sigismund of Hungary. Don't worry, you'll learn more about these and other characters as the story rolls along. Radu, fyi, was a totally real character in history, and really was called cel Frumos, "the handsome", because he was so gorgeous. Alucard really did have another bro named Vlad, but he was called Vlad the Monk (Calugarul). So just letting you guys know, I'm not making this stuff up. Well, hope you enjoyed your random history lesson! XD RxR


	3. Vampire Mating Ritual

A/N: The characters may seem randomly drawn from history, but there is one thing that links them all... the Ordinul Dragonului. Yup, that's all I have to say right now XD

-

Seras slowly opened her eyes, staring at the dark interior of the coffin. She was a little relieved to see that she was alone, and at the same time, a little disappointed. Did Alucard really find the idea of sleeping with her so repulsive? Or perhaps he had not slept at all.

She yawned and stretched and then suddenly realized a horrible truth.

"MASTER!" Seras shrieked, throwing the lid off the coffin.

"Yes, Seras?"

She tried to keep herself covered with the side of the coffin as she raised her head and shoulders to glare at the smirking vampire. "Master, why am I naked?"

"I couldn't have you wearing those old clothes from London," Alucard said, smiling passively at her.

"So you felt the need to undress me yourself," Seras asked pointedly. Alucard grinned.

"You were sleeping so soundly; I didn't want to wake you."

"MASTER, YOU PERVERT!" Seras snarled, getting out of the coffin and storming towards him, not even caring that she wore absolutely nothing. What difference did it make when he'd had all day to stare at her? "Where are my clothes?!" she said angrily, staring pointedly at him.

Alucard rose from the chair and headed for a large wardrobe that Seras had not noticed before, sliding the door open with a single finger. Seras looked curiously over his shoulder as he pulled a long, somewhat old fashioned dress from the wardrobe. It was black with red ribbons lacing up the bodice and tying the slightly puffed sleeves.

"_This _will be a little more appropriate for you, Seras," he said, handing the dress to her. She quickly slid it on; of course, it was a perfect fit. Alucard had probably taken her measurements while she slept. She had just begun to fumble with the ribbons when two large hands intercepted her own and took the red ribbons from her. Alucard tied the front of her bodice, his fingers trailing across the exposed skin of the low neckline. Seras shuddered and moved a little closer.

"It suits you," he said in a low voice, though he was not looking at the dress at all. His eyes were fixated on hers; their faces were just inches apart.

"Master," Seras whispered. "What are you doing?"

"Helping you with your dress," he replied. He bent slightly and licked her cheek.

"You know what I mean, Master," Seras said, looking up at him meaningfully.

Alucard chuckled, placing his hands under her chin. "Some people call it courting," he said with a grin, tracing her face with his fingers. Seras pulled away.

"Master, you know that isn't necessary," she murmured, looking down. "I... Radu was handsome, but it's not like... I was going to... or anything. I mean, if we were still in Hellsing, you wouldn't be acting this way, would you?"

Alucard glared at her, but did not relinquish his hold on her body. "Integra forbid me from touching you the night I brought you home," Alucard told her, placing an arm around her waist.

"Master, this isn't right," Seras said firmly, trying to step back.

"This is the safest way for you," he said, dragging her closer.

"No, Master, this isn't right for _you,_" Seras replied angrily. "This isn't what you want or need. It's all wrong. You're just jealous, that's all. It's a normal emotion."

"Jealousy is not a typical emotion for a vampire," he said coldly, releasing her at last. "Very well, Seras. You may choose your own mate. Do what you will: it is none of my concern."

"Why do I have to have a mate at all?" Seras asked uneasily.

"A vampire's senses are magnified," Alucard said smoothly. "Your sense of lust is no different. When you find yourself unable to resist your desires, it is better to have a mate to turn to."

Seras smiled. "If that ever happens, you'll be the first to know, Master."

He nodded briefly. "Come- it's time for us to be downstairs. We wouldn't want to miss breakfast, would we?"

"B-breakfast?" Seras repeated, tensing up.

Alucard grinned, pulled her against him and phased them through the floor. Seras twisted uncomfortably against him. "Seras, just because you have refused me once does not mean that I intend to give up altogether," he informed her. "_When_ the time comes for you to choose a mate, I have every intention of being your first choice."

"Master, you-"

He pressed a finger to her lips as they entered another room, much like the one they had been in last night only vaster and grander. Seras slowly realized that _this_ was the banquet hall and the other place had merely been some sort of meeting room. The vampires turned to see them enter.

Radu instantly sought Seras' eyes and winked. He was not the only one. Two other males were watching her with interest; her face began to turn red and Alucard held her a little closer. Then Seras saw them; about fifty humans shepherded into a corner, their eyes blank, their expressions empty.

She felt her gag reflex trigger.

_Don't worry, Seras, _Alucard said into her head. _Once you smell the blood you will devour them with ease._

_Master, I feel sick, _Seras told him, fighting to prevent tears from rolling down her cheeks.

_Vampires don't get sick, _Alucard replied firmly. _You will be fine. Just keep calm, and I will take care of you. _"You may begin," Alucard said to the group at large.

Seras watched with horror as the vampires descended upon the unaware humans; some, like Radu, picked through the crowd until the found one they liked. Others simply grabbed the nearest and began drinking. She shrank away from the massacre.

She let out a faint noise of protest when Alucard left her side, and a fainter one when he returned holding a young woman of about twenty or so years. Alucard put his arm around Seras's waist, guiding her to her meal.

"Master, no," she whispered.

Alucard sliced open the girl's neck; the smell of blood filled the air, calling to her, filling her with raw hunger. Seras began to move towards the female, her senses alive, her stomach roaring in her ears.

_No, no, this isn't right! _She told herself. _Why am I arguing? _Another side of her asked. _I'm not a human. I'm a vampire. It's never going to change. And Master would be so pleased... but why do I care about pleasing, Master? _The human side of her asked. Her vampiric nature seemed to chuckle. _Do you pretend you didn't want to shout yes to the heavens when he asked you to be his mate?_

Seras shook her head weakly and bit into the neck of the girl, her thirst bubbling within her as she drank. The vampiric nature had won, like it always did these days. Alucard watched approvingly as she ate, never relinquishing his hold on her. She leaned against him when she finished, crimson tears streaming down her cheeks.

Some days, she hated her human nature; this was one of those days. A few of the other vampires were watching as Alucard allowed her to sob against him, their eyes thoughtful. Seras moved deeper into the folds of Alucard's shirt, trying to pretend that she and her master were alone.

-

It was early evening on the third day of Seras' stay in Castle Draculae. Seras was curled up on the edge of the library balcony, staring out over the valley of Arefu. She had only recently noticed the small village about fifty miles away from the castle. She vaguely wondered if it was the source of their dinner.

_No, _she thought. _A village that size couldn't feed a colony of vampires. _Seras sighed and rested her chin on her knees.

"You seem upset," said a voice from behind her.

Seras turned to see one of the male vampires who had been staring at her in the banquet hall moving towards her, his crimson eyes gentle, his actions calculated.

"It's hard to adjust," she murmured.

He nodded. "There is no shame in your humanity," he said softly. "It will, of course, fade with time, but you are very young and it is only natural that you still feel remorse when you kill."

Seras laughed. "That's not what Master says. He says I'm holding onto my humanity and its making me weak."

The vampire smiled a crooked smile. "There are very few of our kind with a nature as sadistic as Draculae's," he informed her. "Be thankful that you are nothing like him. You would probably have already killed him if you had been. Freedom can be a very tempting thing to a fledgling your age."

Seras shook her head. "He offered me freedom. He said I can leave when I'm ready."

The vampire looked slightly surprised. "He must be... very attached to you... to let you go like that."

"Or he thinks I'm a pest," she replied, flicking a pebble off the railing and watching it fall until it was out of sight. "Honestly, I don't know _what _he wants me to do."

The vampire sat lightly on the edge of the balcony beside her, smiling passively. He reached into his coat and pulled from it a crimson rose, handing it to her. "If you grow tired of your master..." he said calmly as she took it. "My name is Vytautus Didysis. I'll come back for your answer later."

He got to his feet and left, with that same, subtle smile gracing his lips. He past Radu in the doorway; the two glared as they past. Then Radu came to sit beside her. Seras let out another sigh.

"Surprised Didysis could be so blunt?" Radu asked, grinning at her.

"His name isn't Romanian..." Seras mumbled, shaking her head.

"It's Lithuanian," Radu informed her. "Vytautus 'the Great.' You will be his fourth wife if you choose him."

"Fourth?!" Seras repeated in shock.

Radu smirked. "You strike me as more of a 'one wife' girl," he mused. "You seem high maintenance. And I have a feeling any man who had you wouldn't need any other women." His eyes flicked momentarily over the curves of her body and then back to her face. "I don't have any brides, at the moment anyway. Next to you, I'm probably the youngest one here. I was the son of my father's second wife, and was born some time after Vlad and Mircea. I did not make the change to vampirism until my twenty fifth birthday, after the death of my human lover in one of the wars with the ottoman empire. Everyone else was already a member of the Ordinul Dragonului. I was only inducted because Vlad was the head."

"What_is _the Ordinul Dragonului?" Seras asked curiously.

Radu grinned. "Vlad always had a habit of keeping secrets. I think I would go insane if I was his fledgling! Either way, it's not for me to say. You'll have to talk to your master about that." Then Radu, like Vytautus, handed her a rose. "Until later," he said with a smile, kissing her hand.

Seras stared at the flowers in her hand, knowing in the pit of her stomach what they meant. They were obviously part of some vampiric courtship ritual. Radu and Vytautus were asking for her to choose one of them as her mate. Perhaps Alucard was right... she had a problem.

"Master?" she called to the open air, wondering if he was busy. If Radu and Vytautus were free, that at least meant that there was no meeting going on.

"Yes, Seras?" he said from behind her. She managed to repress the surprised squeak that longed to break forth from her lips, given that she was the one who called him.

Seras turned to him, and showed him the roses, looking pleadingly into his eyes. "What do I do, Master?"

"You choose, or if you cannot, the males will fight over you and the winner will claim you."

"That's so barbaric!" Seras hissed. "What am I? A piece of meat?"

Alucard smirked at her. "Essentially."

Seras scowled. "How long do I have to decide?"

"About a week," Alucard replied. "I did warn you, did I not, that this would happen? Well, it is your own fault and I cannot prevent this from happening. I can, however, give you more options."

He held his hand out, palm up, and shadows began to swirl between his fingers. They shot upward in a narrow stalk and bloomed into an ebony rose that he then handed to Seras.

"M-master," she said staring at the flower. She didn't know what to say after that. She just gazed wordlessly at him, trying to understand why he was acting this way. He had _never_ shown her romantic interest in any way, and now he was asking her to be his _bride_?!

She placed the black rose beside the two crimson ones in her lap and looked up at him. Alucard bent and took her face in his hands, guiding her from the railing. Her body was completely numb, her senses in overload, her skin ablaze where he touched her...

The roses fell to the ground, and by some strange coincidence, Alucard managed to step on the two red ones, crushing them to a fine, pink powder beneath his foot. He pressed his lips into the side of her neck; impulsively, Seras grabbed his upper arms, trying to keep her body from melting at the contact.

"Master, c-could I ask you something?" she said uneasily.

"Perhaps..." he said, kissing the inside of her wrist.

"What is the Ordinul Dragonului?"

Alucard grinned against her skin. "All those you have seen here, and once many more. Sigismund, whom you have noticed I'm sure, founded the organization before I was born. Ironically, it was once a Christian organization designed to battle the Islamic turks. But Sigismund felt himself growing older and knew his time was limited. To continue his 'noble work', he investigated in secret the methods of immortality. What he didn't realize was the sacrifice he would have to make to obtain it; without his humanity, the godly mission ceased to exist. Sigismund 'died' in 1437, and the organization sank into obscurity. But through the generations, he continued to recruit members for his new mission. My father was among these, and later, myself."

"So, if the organization is no longer Christian, what does it do?" Seras asked.

"That, I cannot tell you, little draculina," he said with a smirk. "It is only for the draconists to know."

"Master, when did _you_ take over the organization?"

"Some hundred years after its creation," Alucard replied simply. He had moved on from her wrist to her elbow and was slowly making his way up to her shoulder. "Vampires value different qualities than men in their leader."

"And you didn't need to be a vampire to possess those qualities," Seras muttered, suppressing the feeling of attraction it inspired in her with a smile. "So Sigismund stepped down?"

"We fought for the title. He remained second in command afterwards."

"Master, why was the organization sleeping when we came here?"

"In the late 16th century, a mass of vampire hunters broke out, causing problems. It was agreed that they should sleep until the fashion had ended, while I watched over them as a 'human' Count. Van Hellsing saw through the ploy."

Seras suddenly realized that Alucard had placed her back on the railing while he spoke. He was bent over beside her, his lips quickly sliding from the base of her neck to the low neckline of the dress.

"Master!" Seras said angrily, trying to push him away. Alucard chuckled and slid his tongue up her skin once before withdrawing. He glanced up at the newly awakened stars and frowned.

"You are very distracting, Seras," he said in a low voice. "I am late for a meeting."

Seras gave a guilty expression. "I shouldn't have asked so many questions. I'm sorry, Master."

Alucard laughed darkly. "On the contrary, my dear fledgling, I quite enjoyed our little chat. Perhaps next time, we can talk for longer... in private."

Seras turned a dark shade of red, not missing the implications of his comment. He kissed her hand once more before rising and returning to the castle, leaving her to her thoughts and emotions.

When he was out of sight, she scooped up the fallen rose he had given her, staring at it thoughtfully. Would it really be so bad to have Alucard as a mate? A dark, sadistic lover whom she feared and respected more than any other being... she could handle that. There was no doubt that she was strongly attracted to him. Who wouldn't be? As far as vampires went, he was the most ideal candidate. But the bond between them worried her.

Seras feared that Alucard was only courting her to protect her, because he felt a natural need to keep her safe as his fledgling. Would he regret it the morning after when he woke to find her by his side?

And then there was Radu... he was physically appealing and has a rough charm to him. And he did seem to genuinely want her. Vytautus was certainly out of the question... Neither even came close to comparing to Alucard.

The sound of footsteps, brought Seras out of her daze. She turned to see the ladies of the draconists approaching her as one. Thirty pairs of crimson eyes darted from the crumpled roses on the ground to the black one she cradled in her fingers. Barbara smiled and stepped forward from the crowd.

"So it has begun," she said, sitting gracefully beside the younger vampiress. "Three already? You are very attractive, Lady Seras."

Seras smiled weakly at the stunning creature before her. "Th-thank you. One is from Radu, the other from Vytautus." The women murmured amongst themselves a general word of agreement.

"And this one?" Barbara asked, brushing her slender fingers against the soft, black petals of Alucard's rose.

"M-master," Seras admitted uneasily, holding the rose a little closer.

"You are afraid to accept him," Barbara said knowingly, her voice as calm and patient as a mother's. Seras nodded with a sigh.

"I don't want him to take me because he's jealous," Seras said firmly, her fingers tightening on the stalk so that the thorns cut into her skin. "If he wants _me_, then I am his in an instant."

"So you _do_ love him," Barbara said with a gentle smile.

"Master says vampires are incapable of love," Seras said in surprise.

Barbara tilted her head slightly in a dismissive gesture. "Perhaps it is not the same love one would experience as a human. It is deeper and stronger than that. Proper mates will never leave each other, no matter how many years they live. It is a sort of bond they share, one of trust and understanding that goes beyond what even the most harmonious mortal couple can possess."

"So, if I accept Master, and it turns out to be a mistake..." Seras said unhappily.

"Tell me how you met." Another woman had stepped forward from the crowd, her eyes narrowed and calculating as she spoke.

Seras blinked. "Well, it was about five years ago. I was a police officer, a servant of the government, that is, almost a soldier."

"They let a woman fight?" another vampiress said in horror.

Seras smirked in a way alarmingly similar to Alucard. "Welcome to the twentieth century," she replied. "Women are soldiers, fighters, rulers... Master served under Integra Hellsing. He says she was the only Hellsing worth following." The women exchanged looks of surprise and shock, but said nothing, allowing Seras to continue. "Anyway, there was a vampire terrorizing a village in England, and I was sent in to destroy it. Of course, I didn't know it was a vampire; I didn't believe they existed.

"Before I knew what had happened, all the other police men had been turned into ghouls and I was alone. Master was under orders from Integra to destroy the same vampire, so he and I ran into each other. He approached me in a... frightening way and I wounded him with a modern weapon called a gun. But then he healed and I realized he wasn't human. So I fled and unwittingly ended up in the arms of the other vampire. My weapon again had no effect on him and he quickly overpowered me. He decided he didn't want to make me into a vampiress, because he didn't want me to have free will. So he planned to rape then drain me and turn me into one of his slaves.

"That's when Master appeared again. He destroyed all the ghouls in seconds. The other vampire realized he was working for the humans so he attempted to use me as a shield, believing Master would not harm me to get to him. He was very mistaken. Master asked me if I was a virgin. No sooner had I said 'yes', than he shot through my left lung to hit the vampire's heart.

"As I lay dying, he stood over me, offering me a choice. Death... or immortality. And here I am." She finished with a smile.

"That's so romantic!" said a small blond who had been listening with wide eyes. The vampiresses laughed at her comment, but generally agreed.

"Romantic?" Seras asked with a laugh. "It was the most frightening night of my life! Imagine being given a choice between hell and the monster hell spat back out!"

"But it was love at first sight!" the blond said eagerly. "You knew you wanted him even though you were just a scared human. And he knew he wanted you!"

Seras shifted uncomfortably. "I don't think that was exactly the case."

The girl smiled. "I'm Danuta, by the way: Vytautus' second wife. If you accepted him, we could be sisters! But I think your choice is obvious..."

Seras shook her head. "Master... or Radu..."

There was a sharp intake of breath at her words. The woman who had asked for her to tell the story frowned openly. "You would choose Radu over Vlad?"

"Not over him," Seras said quickly, "But if you take Master out of the picture..."

"Why would you do that?" the vampiress demanded. "Vlad has never taken a bride before. You have been offered an honor above what any of us have experienced. Your offspring would be among the finest."

Seras laughed softly. "We're not dogs to be bred, and Master is Master, whether he is the No-Life King or the pet of a human. I just don't want to be the same burden for eternity that I've been for the last few years. I'll be honest; I'm a terrible fledgling. I don't drink blood unless forced, I contradict him and argue with him all the time, my powers are so underdeveloped... I can't walk through walls or transform or summon familiars. I'm pathetic! I'm a disappointment!"

"And yet he carries you around like a trophy," Barbara intervened soothingly. "Vlad is not a self-sacrificing person. He would not have asked for you if he hadn't wanted you for his own selfish reasons. Have you considered asking him outright what he feels about you?"

"Yes, that might be helpful," said Danuta supportively.

Seras sighed. "I'll talk to him when his meeting has ended."

"Perfect!" Danuta said with a beaming smile. "That gives us just enough time to get you ready."

"Ready for what?" Seras asked, swallowing hard.

Danuta giggled and took her hand. "Can we dress you up, please? It's been so long since I've had a friend as young as you..."

Seras could not help feeling that Danuta was significantly younger than she, but did not have time to protest. The herd of female vampires had swarmed around her, dragging her upstairs to be completely made up.

Barbara slowly rose and followed after them, thinking she had a necklace that would look absolutely stunning on the young vampiress.

-

So, how did you guys like it? Please review and give me your thoughts/praises/suggestions/flames, whatever, I won't take comments personally. Pointing out plot flaws and such to me helps me to correct them further down the line so don't hold back! It's thanksgiving break for me, so I should be updating regularly from this point on... check back soon for the next chapter!


	4. Leaving Love and Lies

So, sorry for the slow update- I was out of town and didn't have alot of computer time. But here you go! Enjoy! And don't worry, I'm not going to abandon this story... I like writing it to much! FYI, this chappie contains some mild adult themes, so read at your own discression. XD

-

Seras couldn't stop fidgeting, touching her hair, her dress, the ruby necklace at her throat... her mind was in overload. She didn't know how to act or what to say. I mean, afterall, what does one say to a vampire like Alucard? He wasn't exactly the type to come out and be truthful, or to talk about his feelings with _anyone_. She couldn't help feeling that this was a pointless meeting... and then there was that nagging feeling that she was dressed all wrong for it.

"Honestly, it looks like I'm trying to seduce him," Seras said dispassionately, tugging a carefully curled strand of blond hair away from her painted lips.

The vampiresses smiled their dazzling smiles, exchanging satisfied glances with one another as they looked her up and down. The dress was Danuta's, a deep gold with red satin trim. The glittering ruby choker belonged to Barbara. A tall, slender vampiress called Dorethea had supplied the crimson gems embedded in her blond hair and a smaller, very elegant brunette had done her make-up.

Seras, at first, could hardly believe her appearance. She looked so beautiful, so... queenly...

But then she had realized what the word 'queenly' implied and a wave of horrible guilt had overpowered her. It _really_ looked as though she was trying to seduce her master. And she just want to talk; how would he react when he saw her? Would he be pleased? Confused? _Angry?_ With Alucard, anything was possible.

"You look perfect," said Mikova (Vytautus' third wife), playing with the coils of her hair. "Vlad will be very pleased."

"W-what if he tries to..." Seras began pleadingly, looking into the crimson eyes around her.

"Would that be a bad thing?" asked a woman with ankle length ebony hair. "Afterall, he _is_ our lord and leader."

"And he's not exactly unattractive," piped up a female with noticeably cat-like eyes.

"Yes. In short, he's a catch," Danuta said eagerly, smiling.

"But I just want to talk to him," Seras said swiftly.

"Do you?" It was Barbara who spoke this time. She had been sitting in a chair against the wall of the room Seras and Alucard shared, watching with a slightly amused expression as the women dressed Seras up like a doll. Now she had risen, and was walking towards the young Draculina with her eyes curious and attentive.

"What do you mean?" Seras asked uneasily.

"Do you _really_ just want to talk to your master?" Barbara asked, stopping a few feet from her. "Perhaps, you could begin by sorting out your own feelings for Vlad. How can you expect him to be open with you if you are not open with him?"

Seras smiled slightly. "I can't lie to master. He can read my mind, afterall."

"Not as of late, my little fledgling."

Every vampiress, no matter how experienced or how old, jumped about three feet in the air and whirled around with horrified expressions. Alucard was walking through the crowd of women who were parting for him like the Red Sea for Moses.

Seras' voice had caught in her throat. How had she not sensed his presence? As a matter of fact, how had all the vampiresses failed to sense his presence? And more importantly, how much had he heard?

Alucard glanced dangerously at the other women who quickly began phasing through the walls, the floor and the ceiling until he was alone with his fledgling, the only unfortunate girl who could not phase through anything.

"Master?" Seras asked uneasily, taking a tentative step towards him.

He smiled darkly, eying her with interest. "I feel I am under dressed. May I ask the occasion?" he said with casual gesture towards her attire.

"No occasion, my Master. Just some bored women with a far too lenient doll to dress up," Seras replied, trying to smile.

"Indeed." The look on his face sent shivers up her spine.

"Master, what did you mean when you said 'not as of late'?" Seras asked curiously.

Alucard's expression was unreadable as he replied, "It seems that with your new ability to read minds also came protection. You have been unconsciously shutting me out of your thoughts more and more."

"I... have?" Seras whispered. She was not sure how she felt about that. She was so used to not having to explain things to him, to having him understand everything about her that it struck her as a little odd. But on the other hand, for the first time in her life, she had the advantage. "Then," she said anxiously, licking her lips, "that means that you really don't know what my decision will be."

She had struck a nerve. Alucard shot a passing glare in her direction before saying, "Yes, that would be implied, wouldn't it?"

"Would you like to know?" Seras asked, taking a deep breath.

Alucard smirked. "Your actions speak very loudly. I have a strong idea of your decision."

"Arrogant bastard!" Seras growled, wishing she could claw the smug look off his face. "For your information, I haven't decided yet!"

Alucard's eyes narrowed briefly before he covered his face once more with the unreadable expression. "Yes," he said calmly, watching her. "I had a feeling you would find Radu very appealing. He is younger; you feel you relate to him."

"What I like best about him is his open nature," Seras said carefully, hoping Alucard would catch her drift.

Alucard began to laugh outright at that. Seras cocked her head to the side and watched him, wondering what he found so funny. "Seras, do you truly believe that _any_ male vampire who approaches you does so with honesty and trust in mind? They want to win. You are nothing more than a prize. Your decision will reflect well on the vampire you choose. Vampiresses are attracted to powerful males, so the male who attracts the female, particularly when she is of a strong bloodline, is considered to be the most powerful."

Seras frowned. "So... it's a power struggle?"

"Yes."

"I see..." the sinking feeling inside of her was unbearable. Alucard only wanted her to maintain power. She was a tool, and nothing more. Now it made sense. Even Radu, who had seemed so sincere in his interest was simply trying to better his rank among the vampires.

Seras sighed and began walking toward the coffin in the center of the room, her thoughts buzzing. How could she choose _any_ man when she was a 'one-time' use tool? Would she be thrown away afterwards? Killed? Forgotten? She wasn't sure which would be worse.

But perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to be used... at least then she'd actually be good for something. If there was a way for her to help her master, then shouldn't she go through with it?

_No, I can't live like that, _she admitted to herself. _As noble as it sounds, I couldn't go through with it. I'm too much of a selfish coward._

Wasn't there an alternative to this unhappy ending? Wasn't there a way out?

_There is, _she suddenly realized, a distant light flickering on in her head.

"Master," she said slowly, turning to face him. "I want my freedom."

Alucard moved impulsively towards her then stopped himself. He looked angry, like he was about to hit her; the sight scared her and she stepped back.

"I'm sorry, Master," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "I just can't do it. I'm not that self-sacrificing, even for you."

He vanished from where he stood and reappeared just inches from her face. Seras gasped as her back collided with the wall. "Very well, Police Girl, you will have your freedom," he breathed, leering over her. "Go ahead and take it if you want it."

"I-I don't... want...," she mumbled, looking away.

"Don't you?!" he snarled, grabbing her chin and jerking her face back to his. Seras had not seen him this angry in a long time.

"This doesn't ruin anything, does it?" she retaliated. "If I'm gone, I can't choose. It will be like I never existed."

"You stupid girl!" Alucard hissed, grabbing her by the throat. "You think you can undo the dammage you've done by running away? You think that fixes anything?!"

"I don't understand, Master!" Seras said desperately. "I don't understand what you want!"

"What I want," he said fiercely, "is for you to be mine!"

"Why?!" Seras snapped.

Alucard did not reply. He looked down at her quivering frame, at her large ruby eyes, shaking with fear, and released her.

"Exactly," Seras whispered, looking at the ground. "How can you ask that of me? I know it is my only purpose to serve my master, but this is for eternity. I can't live an eternity wishing I had asked you to kill me that day in Chedder."

He last words caught her master's attention. A glimmer of anger flashed behind his eyes as he moved closer to her again. His fingers found her throat. His words cut through her like ice as he said, "Do you want me to kill you now?" Seras held her breath, watching him with anticipation and fear. His free hand grabbed her wrists and twisted them behind her, flipping her body so that her front was pressed against the wall, Alucard pinning her from behind. "It would be very easy," he continued softly, tracing her neck. "I could crush you with a single hand. Would that please you?"

Seras said nothing. Alucard grinned in a frightening way and dragged his fingers down her spine, causing her to shiver and cringe. He pressed her harder into the wall, his body taking the shape of hers as he leaned close enough to bite the lobe of her ear, causing a small amount of blood to drip to her shoulder. He trailed his tongue across her pale skin, biting down occasionally and taking in small amounts of her blood as he did so.

"Master," Seras said breathlessly, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. She was trying her hardest to suppress the feelings of arousal his actions placed in her. "Master, please..." she pleaded.

"You're not helping your case, Police Girl, calling out for me like that," he informed her, flipping her around again and sliding her up the wall so that his mouth was at the level of her neck. He extended his tongue and began to run it over the ivory skin, moving lower and lower until he had reached the neckline of the dress.

He then set her down long enough to work at the tie on the back of the dress. Seras winced when she felt the strings of her corset loosen. "Master, please don't," she murmured, leaning into his chest to hide her tears.

"You deserve this, Police Girl," he said huskily. "You think you can taunt men with your body and then leave? No, you will pay your dues first."

She let out a terrified gasp as his mouth covered hers, pulling her into another world altogether. And how could she not kiss him back, when her attraction to him was already so strong? She leaned upward, her arms snaking around his neck, trying to convince herself that she wouldn't regret this in the morning.

Slowly and carefully, Alucard placed her hands by her side, still kissing her fiercely. His fingers rested on her hips and ran tantalizingly up to her shoulders, where they fingered the edges of dress curiously. Seras tried to ignore the cold air that surrounded her skin as the dress slid from her shoulders; she tried to ignore the feeling of Alucard's hands on her bare torso as he pressed her harder into the wall. This was wrong, and she knew it. But this was what she wanted. It was like a last dream from a pitifully dragged-out fantasy, and she could not bring herself to stop it. She cared too much for her master. She _desired_ him too much.

Alucard, seeing that she was not trying to stop him, moved his hungry kiss along her throat and down to her chest. Seras gasped and embedded her fingers in his hair, holding him tight against her, her eyes shut tight as his lips brushed across her exposed flesh. She could feel a faint fire burning within her, causing her to writhe beneath her master's weight.

She whispered his name, tears in her eyes. He allowed her to cling to him as he carried her to the coffin, phasing them through the lid and taking complete control of the situation.

-

Seras awoke, blushing at the memory of what had happened. She could tell from the way her skin was tingling that she had not been asleep for very long. Sure enough, Alucard was leaning over her, watching her as she slept.

"Master..." she murmured, trying not to look at him. "I- I'm sorry. It's my fault that happened."

Alucard raised an eyebrow and Seras blushed.

"If I hadn't been dressed that way... if I hadn't led you on, you never would have-."

"You underestimate my self-control," he said passively. "That would have happened if you had ignored me from the day I turned you and been wearing rags."

Seras rolled over, wondering why she didn't feel dirty, or guilty. Had she been human, she probably would have felt like a slut for giving in like that. But as a vampire, she simply felt... satisfied. Groaning angrily at herself, she got out of the coffin and walked to her discarded clothes, scooping them up. She hung the beautiful dress over the chair and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she did so.

Her bare, ivory skin was red with slowly healing bite-marks, the ruby necklace still glittering at her throat. She slowly removed it and set it on the the desk, doing the same with the rubies in her tangled hair. She moved to the wardrobe, digging through for something simple to wear. Of course, there wasn't anything, but she did manage to find a brown gown that was plain enough that it wouldn't receive too much notice. She slid it on, feeling grateful that it did up in the front so that she wouldn't have to ask for Alucard's help.

Seras sat in the chair and used the hem of her skirt to wipe the make-up off her face, wishing she had never put it on to begin with. When she felt ready, she headed for the door, but a hand snaked around her waist and held her back.

"You will need to leave in a less conspicuous way," Alucard said into her ear, phasing them through the wall and into the cool night. He held her as they slowly floated to the ground, setting her down on the large ledge that supported his castle.

"Master," Seras said, looking up at him. "_Master._"

He said nothing as he bent forward so that she could reach his neck. Seras hesitantly moved towards him, placing one hand in his hair and resting the other on his chest. She stood on tip toe, placing her lips around the side of his neck, the place where she judged his vital vein to be. Alucard was as still as stone even as she bit down hard and began to drink perhaps the sweetest blood she had ever tasted in her life.

Her body began to quiver as she did so; she could feel the change burning her veins. Such a strong sense of power was boiling in her stomach, overwhelming her senses, making her hungrier. She was thankful that Alucard was strong enough to remove her, because she might have drained him dry otherwise.

"Thank you, Alucard," she whispered when she had regained control of her hunger.

He said nothing.

Neither did she.

They stood and stared at eachother for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts. Then, Seras turned her back, walked to the edge of the cliff, and jumped off, landing catlike on the next ledge down. She glanced back to see Alucard watching her progress down the mountain before jumping once more, with a little more ease this time.

She darted back and forth along the tops of the rocks until her feet connected with the cool earth of the valley of Arefu and then she took off across the smooth ground, knowing better than to try looking back a second time. Her speed, which had already been inhuman, was now impossible. She felt like a bullet, streaking through the trees, running away from everything that meant anything to her because she couldn't handle it anymore.

She ran and ran until her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed in a clearing, completely alone, tears streaming down her face as she realized the full effects of the decision she had made.

_I'm never going to see him again,_ she thought to herself. _And I have nowhere to go from here. Is this really the end of the road? Nowhere to sleep, no nourishment to be found, free from a miserable existance but inches from death? I suppose I knew this would happen. I suppose I somehow figured death would be worse than living with him and knowing I was never more than a tool, a plaything, a concubine..._

She felt sick at the thought, trying to ignore the reality that he was the only man she would honestly have let have her. Even in her freshly made memories, everything about him appealed to her. It drove her mind wild, thinking about his scent, his taste, his smoldering crimson eyes...

_But that's over,_ she said, trying to forget. _That was from another life time. Now I am the nosferatu Seras Victoria, a master vampire with my own life to live, my own legend to make._

And with that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep, dreaming about a nonexistant reunion with the only man who had ever meant anything to her.

-

Alucard watched until Seras was well out of sight, trying to understand the things she said. "_I'm not that self-sacrificing, even for you,"_and _"I can't spend eternity wishing I had asked you to kill me that day in Cheddar."_Was being his mate truly such a revolting thing to her? She certainly had not seemed to mind the love-making aspect of it, so what was it about staying with him that drove her away? Had she truly been interested in Radu, and grieved to find out he was using her?

The master vampire shrugged and turned away. Her motives were really none of his concern. Afterall, why should he take interest in the pointless emotions of a fledgling?

He began walking towards his castle, trying to think of anything but her. There would be others. He was certain he could find someone as attractive as her in a heartbeat. But someone as eager to please? As trusting? That was harder. It was always something he had never understood about his fledgling. Why had she said yes the night in Cheddar? At first he had decided it was because she was a coward and was afraid to die. A typical human emotion. Fear.

But as he watched her grow... Seras did not fear in the same way most humans did. It seemed that everything scared her, yet nothing stopped her. There was a human word for it, and he couldn't quite recall what it was.

_Courage, _he suddenly remembered with a smirk. _That's what they call it._

Yes, Seras was courageous and trusting and eager to please. Pathetic elements that humans hold in high esteem. As a vampire, she was as ill-suited as a cow. Why had he ever bothered to turn her? He should have left her bleeding on the ground.

But even as he thought that, an image of Seras lying on the ground, crying 'Master' and covered in her own blood popped into his head, unsettling him. Death. Of course it was likely that she would die now that he had let her go. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Why had he let her leave?

On the other hand, what did it matter if she died? Everything dies eventually. Why should he care? Another mental image popped into his head, this time of his fledgling scolding him with a teasing smile on her face. And then another followed that, her tentatively leaning forward to lick blood off her fingers. The next, of her approaching him, her eyes humming a deep, glowing crimson as the pleasure of the kill filled her. After that, her looking at him with tears in her eyes, ashamed that she disappointed him. Then her kissing him, digging her fingers into his hair and...

_I've got to stop thinking about her, _he realized abruptly, putting a hold on the stream of images. _That was a very dangerous thought pattern._

He shook his head to clear it of thought, but could not help glancing in the direction she had disappeared. It would be very easy to track her if he wanted to. Her scent was so potent to him. But no, he was not going to track her. She had chosen to leave. He had let her. That was the end of it. She was gone. Forever.

Alucard frowned. Forever was a long time. He felt an annoying tug in his gut when he really considered that he was never going to see her again. Was this... regret?

He laughed aloud at himself. Regret. He had not felt such an emotion in years. And now he was supposed to believe that some foolish fledgling was the cause of it. No, he had far more control than that. Seras meant nothing to him, and that much was certain. He did not _regret _her absence in anyway.

He entered the castle and began walking towards the stairs where he suddenly found himself confronted by Radu.

"Why did you release her?" Radu said, his eyes burning dangerously.

"Because I was bored of her," Alucard replied.

"Then I will bring her back and _I_ will be her master," Radu returned with a knowing smirk. He took a step towards the door and found himself blocked by Alucard. "I thought you were bored with her," he said coldly.

Alucard grinned. "Think of me as the selfish child that hates to share his toys even if he himself doesn't use them."

"Tsk, tsk, brother," Radu said, shaking his head. "Didn't your mother teach you better? You threw away the toy, and now anyone can find and keep the broken pieces."

"Not if they want to live," Alucard said darkly.

"Hmm, now this is interesting," Radu observed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were _fond_ of her. Even protective."

"She is my fledgling," Alucard replied, his glare cold and cruel.

"Not anymore," Radu pointed out.

"Radu, might I recommend that, with the plans so far underway, you _don't_ do something that will cause the draconists to be an order of thirteen instead of fourteen? Thirteen is, after all, an unlucky number. And we wouldn't want that."

Alucard smirked cruelly at his younger brother and continued to climb the stairs, making a mental note to keep a close watch on the younger vampire in the days to come. Radu could ruin everything. The council's plans, his life, Seras' chance for happiness...

_Happiness?_ Alucard repeated in his head, fighting a feeling of revulsion. It was such a sentimental term. That idiotic draculina. At least with her gone, he wouldn't have to deal with so many human emotions.

-

Anywho, I hope you guys liked it! And don't worry, Seras isn't really gone forever. But now things get interesting... wars, werewolves, stalkers, and a whole hell of a lot of fun! Some new characters should be introduced in the next chapter. Review! XD


	5. Running with Wolves

Woo! Next chappie is up! Everyone enjoying thanksgiving? Hopefully I'll get another one out this evening since its 12:00 am right now XD R&R

-

Emptiness. Darkness. She didn't want to wake up. She never wanted to see again. She just want to lay here in the dark, pretending she was laying on the soft velvet of a coffin, with her master by her side, awaiting the next evening where she would go the banquet hall and find a mass of confused victims, and then cry into her master's chest, and enjoy the feeling of his arms around her, touching her, loving her.

Why had she left? She couldn't stand life with him and she couldn't stand life without him. So what was the point in living?

Seras sighed and rolled onto her back, staring up at the stars. They seemed to be the final proof that she had really gone through with everything.

_I am such an idiot,_ she thought wearily. _Now I'm homeless, hungry and alone. Way to go, Seras._

She slowly got to her feet, keeping her eyes on the sky, which had begun to burn with a pinkish glow. She needed to find shelter, and fast. Daytime was almost here.

She took off running once again, ignoring the faint rumbling in her stomach. She ran and ran, feeling the first rays of the sun burning her skin, her eyes stinging from the light.

_A barn, a house... anything!_ She thought desperately, increasing her speed. She scanned the horizon for any sort of dwelling, and though she saw nothing, the smell of smoke filled her nostrils and she quickly changed her course, heading for it as quickly as she could, praying that it was more than a brush fire.

As she climbed another hill, she saw a clump of very humble houses, with thatched roofs a clay wall. She sprinted for a wooden shed behind one of them, bursting through the door and shutting herself inside, panting for unneeded air.

"Who the hell are you?"

Seras froze, her skin prickling, her senses humming warily.

"I said, who the hell are you?"

She slowly turned and found herself face to face with a male, probably in his early twenties, glaring down at her. Their eyes met, and he leaped back, snarling.

"Vampire!" he spat, crouching low in a fighter's stance.

"Wait, please!" Seras said quickly. She rushed at him, pinned him to the wall and covered his mouth with her hand. "Please stay calm. I don't want to hurt you."

He bit down on her fingers and she yelped, leaping back. He had drawn blood. Seras hissed and charged him again. This time, he aimed a punch at her and she was thrown off course, colliding with a wooden work bench that shattered up her contact, sending sharp pieces of wood through her body.

Seras gasped in pain, but quickly got to her feet. "What are you?" she asked. No human could hurt her like that.

He did not answer, but lunged again. This time she caught him by the throat. He began to wimper as she squeezed, crushing his windpipe. Her fingernails pierced his skin, and his blood began to dribble down her arm.

Seras dropped him in disgust, as a foul stench reached her nostrils. His blood was absolutely... putrid! It made her want to vomit! He was _definitely_ not human.

"Look, I'm sorry," she said, while he gasped on the ground. "I just needed a place to hide from the sun. I wasn't going to eat anyone or anything."

He slowly raised his eyes to hers, and for the first time she realized that they were a deep, tranquil gold.

"What are you?" she whispered again, scrutinizing him.

"Get out of here!" he snapped. "Your kind is not welcome!"

"I don't understand," Seras said. "You're not human."

"Obviously not," he said, getting to his feet angrily and brushing himself off. "What are you, a fledgling?!"

"Well, not anymore..." Seras said blushing. "I was freed yesterday."

He looked at her for a minute, as if to see if she was telling the truth, and then began to chuckle. "So you really are just a moron," he said with a surprised smile. "Sorry for the rude welcome. You see, we've been having a bit of trouble with a clan of vampires over the past few weeks. I thought that you were one of them."

Seras quickly shook her head. "I'm from Wallachia."

"Wallachia?" he said in shock. "There haven't been vampires there for centuries! Unless... does this mean... the Order of the Dragon has risen again?"

_Order of the Dragon?_ Seras thought curiously. It took her a moment to realize 'Order of the Dragon' and 'Ordinul Dragonuli' meant the same thing. "Oh, er, yes," she admitted, wondering if she was causing trouble for the draconists by revealing their existence.

"Unbelievable... and you were one of their females?"

"Very briefly," Seras said. "I wasn't a part of them the first time around."

"Then what are you doing here?" he asked suspiciously.

"I- er, um- I ran away," she admitted, knowing how pathetic it sounded. "They wanted me to settle down with a mate and I... just wasn't ready, I guess."

"Weren't ready to join one of their harems?" he joked. Seras smiled weakly.

"Something like that," she whispered.

"Would you like to come inside?" he asked politely. "I think that Fane will want to talk to you about the Order."

"Who's Fane?" Seras asked.

"Our pack leader," he replied.

"Pack...leader..." she said distantly. And then she suddenly understood. "Werewolves!" she exclaimed, taking a step back from him.

He cocked his head to the side. "You're awfully slow for a vampire. Usually they only turn the intelligent ones. Though I guess you make up for the brains in appearance."

Seras glared at him. "I'm not stupid, just young. And I had an inattentive master who never taught me anything." She quickly made a mental note not to think about Alucard.

"Yes, the really powerful ones tend to be a bit arrogant and stuck up. Who was your master?"

Seras looked at the ground. She did not want to talk about him.

"It's okay, don't worry about it," he said carefully. "I've heard that master vampires can be abusive to their-,"

"He wasn't abusive!" Seras snapped, feeling her cheeks burning. "I just... don't want to talk about him."

"Okay, okay, take it easy, I won't ask again," he agreed, trying to smile comfortingly. "So what's your name?"

"Seras," she murmured. "and you?"

"Alexandru," he replied. "But you can call me Sandru if you like. That's what most people call me."

"Sandru," Seras repeated, smiling back. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He grinned, flashing white fangs, before opening the door to the shed. Seras shrank back from the light, hissing.

"It's only a ten foot dash," he told her. "Do you think you can make it?"

"I-I suppose," she muttered, eying the warm, dazzling glow with utter dislike. "But I won't be able to see. You'll have to guide me."

He nodded and offered her his arm which she took gratefully. The walk to the house was painful. She spent most of it growling in pain, digging her nails into Sandru's arm as sunlight floated all around her, singeing her skin. But it was quickly over. The cool, dark air of the house surrounded her tender skin, filling her with relief. Already the blisters began to heal and the burn faded away until her ivory skin was once more flawless and smooth.

"Daciana!" Sandru called into the house, glancing through a doorway. "Go get Fane. We have a visitor."

"Why don't you get Fane?" came a girl's snappish reply. "Don't I look busy to you?"

"You're brushing your hair, that doesn't qualify as busy!" Sandru retorted.

Seras heard a groan and then a slamming door. Sandru leaned back into the room that held Seras (which seemed to be some sort of common room) and smiled bashfully.

"My twin sister, Daciana," he said sheepishly, running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. "She can be a bit... grumpy at times."

Seras smiled. "Do you two live alone?"

"Yeah," he told her. "Our parents died when we were still kids. And neither of us ever mated, so here we are."

Seras began to look around the room. It was messy, with shirts lying over the back of the couch and scattered boots surrounding the door. A dark, stained rug was in the center of the room, and on it was a large, sleeping wolf. She almost jumped in surprise when she saw it.

"Oh, this is Dragos," Sandru said, following her gaze.

"Is it normal for wolves to live with werewolves?" she asked uneasily.

"Fairly," Sandru replied. "They're part of the pack, after all. It would be rude to make them sleep outside when we have extra space. Besides, they do their part to guard and help the village, so they have as much right to be here as we do."

"I see," said Seras curiously. "But you said you'd been having a bit of trouble with some vampires lately? Surely it's not safe to let them guard at the moment."

"Yes, well," Sandru said uncomfortably. "About that-,"

He was cut off by the slamming of the front door. A plain girl, whom Seras assumed was Daciana, and a large, muscular man walked into the common room, looking from Sandru to Seras curiously.

"Sandru, you're bleeding!" Daciana said in sudden horror, looking at his blood stained sleeve where Seras had held too tightly to him. She rounded on Seras, her pupils dilating, her eyes turning darker. Seras readied herself, baring her fangs to show that she would not roll over if attacked.

"Easy, girls!" Sandru interrupted, stepping between them.

"Sandru, why did you bring a _vampire_ in the house?" Daciana growled, keeping her eyes locked on the Draculina.

"She has some interesting news that I wanted Fane to hear," Sandru replied. "The wounds are from our trip to the house. The sunlight was hurting her and she accidentally scratched me."

Seras took a deep breath, and calmed herself. Daciana slowly did the same, but refused to take her eyes off Seras. Fane was also watching Seras curiously, perhaps a little skeptically, trying to decide what to make of her.

Seras spoke hesitantly to the large werewolf, hoping she would not offend him. "First of all, I'd like to apologize for the intrusion," she said calmly. "I was just looking for some shelter from the sun."

"Thank you for saying so. You are, of course, forgiven," Fane replied. His voice was deep and powerful. It rumbled from his chest like a growl.

"I'd also like to say that I want to be of help in any way I can to make up for my actions," she continued, watching his reaction.

Fane seemed thoughtful. "Of what use do you think you could be to us?" he asked.

"She's from Wallachia," Sandru said quickly. "She says the Order of the Dragon is at work once again."

Fane's eyes narrowed and snapped back to Seras. "Is this true?"

"Yes, sir, it is," she said firmly.

"And you are one of them?"

"No," she replied. "I was sired by one of the draconists and was recently given my freedom. For personal reasons, I chose not to stay."

"Who was your sire?" Fane asked.

Seras did not answer.

"She doesn't like to talk about him," Sandru explained.

"For our purposes, it is important that we know," Fane replied. "Who was your sire?"

"Draculae," she replied, looking away.

"Draculae?" Sandru repeated in shock. "I heard he was killed by a slayer several centuries ago."

Seras shook her head. "Not killed; imprisoned and taken to England where he served human masters against his will. He was employed to kill the undead there, and that is where we met. When the last of his human masters died, he was free, because the bloodline had ended. He took me back to Romania and awakened the draconists. I was with them for only three days before I decided to leave."

"Did Draculae let you leave? Or did you run away?" Fane said quickly, sensing danger for his pack.

"Though he was angry with my decision, he freed me and let me go," Seras said truthfully, smiling reassuringly.

"I see," Fane said thoughtfully. "Do you know anything of the Order's plans?"

"Women were not allowed to be involved," Seras replied with a twinge of annoyance.

Sandru laughed. "I've never understood women who _want_ to join the undead. They are treated so poorly!"

Seras shrugged. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. Vampirism has its own appeals. Strength, control, unimaginable power..." she yawned, feeling sleepy.

"Sandru, did it occur to you that she should be resting right now?" Fane asked looking at the younger werewolf.

Sandru shrugged. "Sorry, Seras. I forgot your kind aren't usually awake right now," he said. "You can sleep in my room."

"I'm alright," she said. "I should finish talking..."

"We will continue to talk this evening," Fane assured her. "For now, rest. I will see you later."

He left and Sandru began guiding Seras up the stairs, into his bedroom. He coaxed her to lie down on the bed, securing the curtains. Seras didn't have time to protest a second time: she was asleep in seconds.

"Master," she whispered to herself as she drifted off.

-

Evening was falling when Alucard rose from his coffin. He knew something was wrong before he even opened his eyes.

"Radu..." the elder vampire hissed, phasing through the floor. "Off for an evening stroll?" he asked as he materialized in the entrance hall, in front of his younger brother.

"It's a lovely night," Radu said conversationally.

"Have you already forgotten my warning?" Alucard said darkly, moving towards the younger vampire. "Do not mistake me; I _will_ kill you."

"It may be too late by the time you find me," Radu challenged.

"You would give up the Order and flee with her?" Alucard asked, a disbelieving smirk on his face.

"She would be worth it," Radu replied. "She is very appealing in a number of ways. We could start a new clan together. I was never really meant for this "noble" life-style anyway."

"She left because she did not want any of us."

"No, she left because _you_ didn't want her," Radu replied. "But she _was_ attracted to me, and once I convince her that my motives are pure, it will be very easy to win her heart."

"You spied on her," Alucard said bluntly.

"Never when you were around, but, yes, I did."

"And now you intend to pursue her?"

"Yes."

"They have a modern term for you. It's called 'stalker'. Women hate it."

"She's not a human," Radu said, smiling. "Vampiresses like being pursued. It makes them feel... worthwhile."

"Coming from a man without a mate, I find that hard to believe."

"You've never even had a long-term lover. What do you know about women? Perhaps you would like a little proof of your fledgling's feelings toward you."

"Perhaps," Alucard said, letting his mind wander into Radu's. Radu sensed his presence and allowed him entrance, projecting selected memories.

"_You are afraid to accept him," Barbara said knowingly, her voice as calm and patient as a mother's. Seras nodded with a sigh._

"_I don't want him to take me because he's jealous," Seras said firmly, her fingers tightening on the stalk so that the thorns cut into her skin. "If he wants me, then I am his in an instant."_

"_So you do love him," Barbara said with a gentle smile._

"_Master says vampires are incapable of love."_

Another image began unraveling in Radu's head.

"_We are not dogs to be bred, and Master is Master, whether he is the No-Life King or the pet of a human. I just don't want to be the same burden for eternity that I've been for the last few years. I'll be honest; I'm a terrible fledgling. I don't drink blood unless forced, I contradict him and argue with him all the time, my powers are so underdeveloped... I can't walk through walls or transform or summon familiars. I'm pathetic! I'm a disappointment!"_

Alucard glared at his younger brother, wanting to hurt him, but for what? For showing him his memories? That was hardly a crime in and of itself. Still, he had a feeling crushing Radu's head would give him some strange sense of satisfaction.

As if sensing this, Radu backed away, grinning. "Still don't believe me?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest. "You drove her away. It was probably something you said. You always did lack tact."

Alucard scoffed. When had he ever said anything that would-

_Seras, do you truly believe that any male vampire who approaches you does so with honesty and trust in mind? They want to win. You are nothing more than a prize._

Ah, yes. That would do it. She was always so easily upset. Had she not realized that he didn't classify himself in that scenario? After all, he was the king of the vampires; he had nothing to gain from mating with his fledgling but her company.

_You are nothing more than a prize._

_If he wants me, then I am his in an instant._

Hmm, perhaps he had miscalculated after all. It was certainly a bother not being able to read her mind. And it had certainly caused a few complications. Well, this was an easily remedied situation. He would just track her down, explain the misunderstanding and bring her back.

On the other hand, why was he going to such lengths for one stupid, idealistic, idiotic girl? She was attractive, yes, but he had yet to see any other admirable qualities in her. Admirable to a vampire, that was. So why did he always find himself drawn to her? Thinking about her? What was she to him?

Perhaps he _was_ attached to her, despite how often he had assured himself that this was not the case. Would he have let her go otherwise? If he hadn't felt this strange fondness for her he would have made her stay. He would have ignored her pleas for freedom and forced her to submit. It would not have been difficult; she had never been much of a resistor.

_At least not to me,_ he thought with a smirk, recalling their intimate encounters before her departure. So now the dilemma began. Should he hunt her down? Or leave her be? Or perhaps a compromise was in order, one that required less attention.

"Find her," he said to Radu. "And bring her back. If you disobey me, I assure you, I _will_ hunt you down and I _will_ kill you. Easily, effortlessly. You will die like the maggot you are and I will feed your remnants to the dogs."

"I always admired our bond as brothers," Radu said, laughing to himself. "This mission will be quite a test of my self-control. But, as I value my life, I will succeed. Until later, Vlad."

He departed, phasing through the front gates, that amused smirk still plastered to his face.

"Our bond as brothers," Alucard said, chuckling darkly. "And he was my favorite of the three. I always made a terrible human."

_...Master is Master, whether he is the No-Life King or the pet of a human..._

"Is that what it is you do to me, Seras?" he wondered aloud. "Do you make me feel... _human_? That I could actually care for a being other than myself, and have it love me unconditionally in return..."

"They call it _agape_," said a voice from behind him.

Alucard smiled. Of course he had sensed her approaching. But she was not a threat, that silly vampiress who still held onto her human theories of love and romance.

"_Dear_ Barbara," he said turning to greet her with his sarcastic smile.

"Dismiss it all you want, Vlad," she replied. "It does not change its existence. Agape love. Unconditional. Self-sacrificing. Does any of this ring a bell? You gave her up so that she might be happy; you put her before yourself. Now that strikes me as a bit strange for someone like you. How do you excuse your actions, Vlad? Petty lies about being disinterested in her?"

"You have seen straight through me," Alucard said dramatically. "It is clear that I am completely in love with my silly, little fledgling. Thank you for enlightening me, Barbara."

He did not wait for her to respond before ascending the stairs once more, pondering her words. _Love_. Barbara had not lived as long as he had. Vampires do not love. She would understand eventually.

He rounded the corner and found himself face to face with Sigismund, who had been listening to the conversation between his wife and Alucard.

"She is still very childish," Sigismund said apologetically. "Idealistic, and determined to find some good in our race."

"We are all damned," Alucard replied.

"It is ironic that I no longer care," Sigismund said, smiling. "It's impossible to regret this decision, given the nature it gives us. We are damned, and that thrills us. But Vlad, let me tell you this; Barbara is precious to me, despite her foolish nature. We may be hell creatures, but that does not destroy our capacity for bonds. Unconditional, pointless bonds."

-

So that's it for now... let me know what you guys think! Review please! And I'd like to apologize for any typos. I don't proof my stories. I just type 'em and post 'em. Yeah, I know I'm lazy! XP


	6. The Messenger

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here's another chapter for you guys! XD Enjoy the holiday- and, as always, R&R!

-

Seras cracked open her eyes, feeling the sun sinking behind the horizon. Everything seemed like a blur; how could so much have happened in just one day? She sighed and kicked off the sheets, forcing herself to rise from the bed.

"Sandru?" Seras asked weakly, peering around the small, messy bedroom. He was nowhere to be found. Seras quickly found the door and exited, wincing as the hinges squeaked loudly.

"Sandru?" she called again, crossing the loft to the staircase.

No reply.

She descended the stairs, keeping her footsteps silent in case he was sleeping on the downstairs couch or something. She passed through the tiny kitchen and into the living room, but still there was no one.

Just then, the sound of muffled voices reached her ear. She quickly averting her attention and listened carefully.

"-their child this time. Maybe now they'll see that something needs to be done."

"Fane's already frantic enough as it is without you making him feel bad." Seras recognized the warm tones of Sandru's voice.

"But if he had done something about this sooner, Sorin would be safe at home in his bed," the other voice snapped. "Where was Fane when they took Crina? It has to be_his_ son for him to realize there's a problem?! Sorin's the sixth! _Sixth!_ This has escalated into a massacre! Damn blood-suckers."

Seras realized that the voices were coming from the front door. She crossed to it and slowly opened it, spying Sandru and a short man standing on the porch, arguing.

"Sandru...?" she said uneasily, hoping it was alright to interrupt.

He looked around in surprise, his large golden eyes resting on her. "Seras, you're awake!" he exclaimed.

She nodded slightly and began walking towards him. The other man was eying her warily. She ignored him and stood by Sandru, looking only at him.

"What has happened?" she asked.

Sandru looked hesitant to tell her.

"Perhaps I could help...?" she prompted.

Sandru glanced quickly at his companion. "Maybe she could," he said thoughtfully. "Vampires can smell other vampires, can't they?"

"I don't understand," Seras said uneasily.

"Can you track a vampire?" Sandru asked firmly.

"Y-yes!" she said in alarm.

"Then this could work!" Sandru said excitedly.

"Sandru, you should know better than to involve one of _their_ kind in our affairs," the other werewolf growled, glaring at the tiny draculina.

"But she could succeed where we fail!" Sandu remarked. "We may actually be able to save Sorin after all!"

"What is going on?!" Seras asked again with frustration.

"Do you remember that vampire problem I told you about?"

She nodded. "Yes, but you didn't elaborate."

"Well, let me do that now," Sandru replied. "We've been having trouble with vampires snatching our pups and drinking their blood. Today, another one was taken: Fane's son, Sorin. Everything is in uproar. If Sorin does not live to inherit the pack, there will be a fight for dominance resulting in a lot of bloodshed."

"Why would a vampire steal a werewolf?" Seras asked in disgust. "No offense, but your blood smells _really_ awful!"

"Not the pups," Sandru said sadly. "The transformation doesn't occur until fifteen or sixteen years of age. Around that time, our genetic structures are altered. I've heard it said that pup blood is sweeter than that of a human."

"Oh, perfect!" snapped the other werewolf. "Now she'll want a taste, too! Do you ever think before you speak Sandru?!"

"I would never!" Seras gasped, glaring angrily. "Their children! How could I hurt a child?"

"The rest of your kind seems to manage!" he retorted.

"One rogue clan does not speak for all of us!" she snarled. "Speaking of which, why have you not gone after them yourselves?"

"No scent," Sandru mumbled. "For some reason, vampires do not give off any distinct smell. They're impossible to track."

"But every vampire has a distinct smell of their own," Seras said, a little confused. She would be able to pick out Alucard's scent anywhere, even on a battlefield where the smell of blood was distracting her.

"Seras, will you help us or not?" Sandru pleaded abruptly. "Fane was kind to you, if you recall, and allowed you to stay. Would you rescue his son?"

"I'll need help," she muttered looking down. "As far as vampires go, I'm pretty weak."

"But I thought power flows in bloodlines for vampires," Sandru said quietly. "Wasn't Draculae your sire?"

Seras smiled. "Yes. Strong blood, weak will. But no matter. I will be able to find them... hopefully. Gather some of your friends and meet me at the edge of the village as quickly as possible."

-

Radu strolled across the ground, sniffing lightly at the air.

"Tsk, tsk, my little Seras," he muttered, following her potent scent. "You certainly ran as far as you could. So where are you hiding?"

He walked to the top of a hill, still tracking her, and then stopped dead.

"Werewolves...?" he said, catching the familiar, disgusting smell wafting across the air currents even as his eyes settled on the ramshackle village. His well trained eyes zoomed in on the people rushing about on the streets.

And there she was, with her blond hair bouncing behind her, her fingers curled into fists, heading quickly for the edge of the village. She was joined by a young male, who began urgently speaking to her. She nodded, and the two ran faster. They were joined by others.

"Now what are you doing with werewolves, Seras?" he mused, creeping silently closer.

This required some further investigation.

-

"Twelve," Seras said, counting the males. "Do we have any idea how many vampires are in the clan?"

"We've seen at least three, but there may be more," Sandru informed her.

Seras nodded.

"Hopefully not," said a voice from behind them. Fane was approaching, his eyes glowing lightly, like molten gold.

"You're coming?" Seras said with surprise.

"This is my pack, isn't it?" he asked. "What sort of leader watches from afar as his men die for him. Sorin is my son: I will be the one to bring him back."

"I-I suppose," Seras said, still a little baffled.

"Have you located the vampires?" Fane asked.

"They're on the move; Sorin is still alive," she replied. "We'll need to move very quickly. Can you...?"

The men were already changing into massive wolves, their bodies growing, their hair lengthening. Seras was a little surprised by how beautiful they appeared; in Hollywood, werewolves were always depicted as foul creatures.

_But then, so are vampires,_ she reminded herself.

They really were beautiful creatures. She vaguely wondered if she could transform into one of them. She had seen her master take on the form of a large, dog-like creature. Perhaps she could do the same...?

_Another time, Seras,_ she said firmly. _I have work to do right now!_

"I'll try to go slow enough for you to keep up," she said. "But we may loose track of them if we go too slow. Follow me if you can."

She took off running, and was very pleased to find that the werewolves could match her pace easily. She ran faster, following the distant aura of the vampires. When the wolves once again managed to keep up, she increased her speed, thinking that she really needed to start training more.

They sprinted across the plain, the moonlight on their backs. Every so often, one of the wolves would let out an anxious howl. The sound was haunting and echoed through the night, ringing in their ears for a long time after it had ended.

Seras shivered, despite her inability to feel temperature. Perhaps it was the tension that thrilled her, or maybe the anticipation of killing. How long had it been since she sunk her fangs into flesh, or had blood spill across her skin? The thought was making her hungry; she increased her speed once more.

They were getting close. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw the wolves bounding freely behind her, their fangs exposed, their hackles raised. She smirked at the sight.

She began to slow, as trees engulfed them, causing some alarm among the others.

"Why have we stopped?" hissed a large black wolf nervously when Seras halted altogether.

Seras silenced him with a look. She began to edge silently through the trees, her eyes smoldering in the dark. She could smell vampire blood. Was that why they had stopped? Was one of them wounded?

She moved wordlessly from shadow to shadow, her senses alert, the wolves creeping along behind her, their nerves buzzing. She frowned, glancing back at them.

"Your emotions are too loud," she hissed. "They'll sense us!"

"Too late," said a velvety voice from behind her.

"Radu!" Seras exclaimed, her heart pounding. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"We'll talk later," he said, grinning at her surprised reaction. "Although I should be asking _you_ that question. What is it you are doing, Draculina?"

"We're rescuing a pup," she replied. "Why, are you here to stop us?"

"No," he said, stopping by her side. "I was planning on watching, but why would I let you have all the fun? You were yelling about emotions, when yours are the loudest of all. What is it about killing your own kind that thrills you? You are more sadistic than I gave you credit for."

"Sorry to disappoint," Seras muttered sarcastically.

Radu smirked. "To be honest, I find it _very_ attractive."

Seras scoffed. "We're busy. You're drawing attention to us!"

"Drawing? Oh, no, my dear, Seras. We're passed that point. The clan has already surrounded us, or hadn't you noticed?"

Seras realized he was right. The aura she had been so carefully tracking had spread into an even circle around them; it was slowly decreasing in radius.

"Their auras are weaker than yours," she said angrily. "You distracted me!"

"Relax, I'll make up for it," he said, tweaking her chin. She resisted the urge to bite his fingers, thinking that his help would most certainly be useful.

"How many are there?" she asked uneasily, finding herself surprised by how spread out their auras were.

"I'd estimate about twenty or so," Radu said thoughtfully. A few of the werewolves whined impatiently. The large, muddy-brown wolf that Seras knew to be Sandru moved closer to her, growling at Radu.

"It's not his fault there are so many," she said to Sandru. "We'll be alright. This is Draculae's brother. Even if he is obnoxious, we could use the help."

"That's the spirit," Radu said with a chuckle, ruffling her hair. Sandru snapped at his hand and he quickly withdrew. "I see you've found another suitor, Seras."

"Or maybe he just recognizes you as a pig," Seras suggested.

"Easy, little one," Radu said. "Do you want my help or not?"

Seras stiffened. "Radu, you stay with the wolves. I'll find the pup."

"Of course, my lady general," he said, bowing sarcastically. "I am yours to command."

"Why did I ever put up with males?" Seras wondered aloud, slinking into the trees, sniffing the air for the scent of the pup. It was not hard to pick up on. And it was, nothing short of, delicious. It doubled her hunger, causing her to lick her lips as she moved impulsively towards it.

And there was the child, sobbing into his knees, his wrists and ankles bound with rope. Easy prey. She had but to sink her teeth into his fragile neck, and drink his sweet, hot blood...

_Seras, what are you talking about?_ She asked herself, shaking her head to clear it of the intoxicating scent. _You're supposed to be rescuing him. He's a child!_

She quickly rushed to the small boy and used her fangs to undo the ropes that bound him.

"Sorin," she said softly. "I'm a friend of your father's. I'm here to help you."

"Father?" he said, looking up with large, pale yellow eyes.

A yelp from the distance attracted their attention.

"Come with me," Seras said quickly. "Climb on my back and whatever you do, don't let go."

"O-okay," he said softly, entwining his small arms around her neck. She stood and dashed back in the direction of the werewolves.

"You're father is fighting now," she said in a careful voice. "We're going to help him, but that means you have to hold me very tightly."

Sorin nodded weakly and buried his face in her hair.

Seras fought to keep control of herself. The smell of blood was thick in the air, some of it enticing, some of it sickening. But more of the enticing blood, thankfully; they were winning the battle.

She leaped upward into a tree, scanning the ground for the battle. It was not difficult to find. The snarling and the barking alone were enough to give it away, had there not been the lunging wolves, hissing vampires and blood spurting in every which direction. Radu seemed to have settled right into the steady beat of bite and slash that was necessary for the destruction of one of his own kind. The wolves were chewing on the dying vampires.

"Father!" Sorin cried, his quivering eyes fixated on the large, sandy wolf, now squaring off with two females.

"Don't let go," Seras reminded him before leaping into the throng, tackling one of the vampiresses with a hiss. Fane tackled the other and ripped out her throat in one swift movement before chewing greedily on her head.

The blood and the gore was too much to resist any longer. Seras lost control. She shoved her fingers into the chest of the female, ripping out her heart. Then she grabbed another passing male, biting into his neck and lapping up the blood.

He yelled and forced her off of him, but she grabbed his arm, twisting it until it snapped. Snarling, she pinned him to the ground, crushing his skull with her boot until it exploded beneath her, spraying the trees with blood.

One last vampire remained, cornered by the wolves. For about thirty seconds, the air was filled with the sounds of crunching bones. Seras used this time to regain her control.

"Sorin?" she said gently, removing him from her back. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, sobbing into her skirt. "I'm scared," he whispered.

"It's alright," she cooed, dropping to one knee so that she could properly comfort him.

"Aren't you the picture of motherly love?" Radu said into her ear. "If you wanted a child of your own, you only had to ask."

"Is that why you're here?" she asked scathingly

"Originally, yes, but as of yesterday, I was given new orders."

"What do you mean?"

Radu smirked. "I was sent to retrieve you and bring you home. It seems Vlad is having second thoughts about releasing you, or something of the sort. He was very _insistant_."

Seras, looked away, still cradling Sorin in her arms while Fane attended to his wounded men. "If he wants me back," she said, gritting her teeth, "let him come and get me himself."

"Are you sure?" Radu asked. "I believe he was feeling as though there was some misunderstanding between you and he."

"There was no misunderstanding. He said I could leave. I left. Supposedly he's intelligent, but now I'm having second thoughts."

"For a master who never abused you, you sure harbor a lot of ill-will." Sandru had changed back into a man and was approaching her, laughing slightly.

"It's not ill-will," Seras said, chewing her bottom lip.

"It's unrequited love," Radu said with a snicker.

"Vampires don't love," Seras snapped.

"They do when they're fledglings," Radu retorted. "And little Seras knows she would give anything to see her master again. So why not save me the trouble of forcing you and come willingly."

"Hmm, you make a very persuasive argument, but I'm going to have to decline," she said cruelly.

"I believe Vlad's words were something to the effect of 'bring her back, or die.' Now we both know I want to live. And we both know that I am stronger than you."

"But are you stronger than us?" Fane said abruptly, coming to a halt behind Seras.

"You would stand behind a vampire? Against the draconists?" Radu hissed.

"Do not assume we are fools," Fane spat. "We know what you are plotting. You will need us; you cannot afford to break ties with the wolves. And taking her will break ties."

Radu's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps this will take more consideration, after all. Very well, keep her. I will await Draculae's orders. Personally I am hoping he lets us destroy you all. Worthless dogs."

"Radu!" Seras said in shock.

"Are you so surprised to find that we are monsters?" Radu asked. "Do not expect a vampire to be as lenient with a werewolf as they are with an attractive vampiress."

Everything that happened next was a blur. Sorin was knocked to the ground, Seras was pinned to a tree, the wolves were snarling and Radu's lips were on hers. Then he had vanished, and she was staring in bewilderment at the place where he had stood.

Then realization struck. "What have I done?" she whispered, clenching her fists.

"Seras, are you alright?" Sandru asked, tentatively touching her shoulder.

"No, I've ruined everything!" she said. "I've put your entire pack in danger!"

"You_are_ our pack," Fane interrupted, holding Sorin with one arm.

"What?" Seras murmured, staring at him in disbelief.

"You aided our village in our time of need with no benefit to yourself," Fane replied. "Such is not normal behavior for a vampire. You are welcome in our village as long as you wish to stay. And we will protect you as well as we are able, as you protected us."

"Werewolves are strange," Seras muttered. "Do you not realize the danger you may be in? I have seen Draculae destroy werewolves and vampires alike. He has obliterated armies with ease and kills without mercy. If he attacks you... no, if he attacks _us_. Yes, I will die among you."

"You see what it is to be part of the pack," Fane said with a nod.

Seras nodded and called to the night, "Do you hear me, Radu?! Tell him I will die with the wolves!"

"He can't hear you," Sandru said in a low voice.

"Oh, yes he can," Seras replied. Radu's aura was still within hearing distance. "And he knows exactly what I mean. I will defend the village as they defend me. Let Alucard figure _that _one out."

-

"Back so soon Radu? And you're alone. Perhaps you should not have come back at all."

"What difference would it make?" Radu asked, walking down the long, shadowy throne room.

"Indeed," Alucard agreed. "So you have a reason for coming back."

Radu nodded. "She sends a message for you, Vlad. And I quote: "I will die with the wolves."

Alucard raised an eyebrow.

"It seems she has the protection of a pack of werewolves," Radu said with a shrug. "She feels as though she is 'part of the pack'. And refuses to return. She would also like to say that she has begun questioning your intelligence; she was under the impression that you said she could leave."

Alucard chuckled darkly. "She makes good time."

"I believe there was one other thing she said pertaining to you," Radu remarked thoughtfully. "She said, 'if he wants me back, let him come and get me himself'. Apart from that, she mostly just insulted me."

"Congratulations," Alucard said, his thoughts elsewhere.

"So, what are your orders, my _king_? Shall I rip them limb from limb? Or impale myself?"

"Both?" Alucard suggested. "I'll even let you choose the order. No, for now, do nothing Radu. We will proceed with our plans. I will personally deal with Seras when and how I see fit."

-

So, curious to see what Alu-chan will do? You'll have to check back tomorrow for that :D Review!


	7. No Regrets, No Choice

Next chappie! Yay! XD Do we find out something very shocking?! Of course we do! It wouldn't be a good story otherwise, right? So, on with the fic! Read, review, enjoy... yada yada, all that jazz. Have fun! Oh, and in response to a comment, this is manga/OVA based. I like that SO much better than the regular anime series...

-

Seras had always assumed that vampires and werewolves must be something alike; afterall, they were both hell-creatures, both monsters that fed on death. But she could not have been more wrong. If there was an opposite to the vampiric lifestyle, it was pack-life. Loud, messy and rushed. The women spent all day chasing after pups or gossiping while they sat in sewing circles; the men trained day and night. It was like a deadline was pressing in on them, and that compelled them to move faster and faster. Seras could barely keep up.

The vampires had always moved slowly, carefully and with purpose. Every action was calculated, and they had eternity to put their plans into motion. But here... here things were always moving. There was no time to stop and think, to look up at the stars and admire them. If Seras didn't look busy, she was put to work.

She was at least thankful that they ranked her as a "man" and allowed her to participate in training for "the war" which she still knew _nothing_ about. Most of the time, she trained by herself, pushing her body to its limits with repetition an determination. Sometimes, Sandru (with whom she was living) would come to help her train. They would spar, or he would give her pointers of suggestions.

"All I can think is that it's a mental thing," he said one day, sitting on a log and watching as Seras rubbed her head painfully and glared at the tree.

"Don't you think I've been trying that?" Seras asked. There were about two dozen dents in the tree where her skull had collided with it.

"I'm sure you have," Sandru agreed. "What I'm saying is I don't think the whole "running-start" thing was such a good idea."

"I think I'd agree with you even if it wasn't true," Seras complained, wincing as her fractured skull began to heal. "I'll I can say is I'm definitely not trying that again. I just don't get what I'm doing wrong! Master always made it look so easy, like it was second nature."

"Maybe you've got the wrong mindset," Sandru suggested.

"Well, I've tried a variety of things," she said. "Like pretending the tree is water." She leaned against the trunk, immagined it to by liquid and tried to sink in. It didn't work. "I've also tried pretending the tree is not there." The trunk remained entirely too solid.

"Have you considered changing yourself?" Sandru asked.

"What do you mean?" Seras said, looking skeptically down at him.

"Well, think about it!" Sandru prompted, getting to his feet. Seras smiled, recognizing his stance; he was about to go on a rant. "Well, vampires are supposed to able to transform, right? But they can't necessarily manipulate matter around them, at least not that I've seen. So what needs to change is not the tree, but _you_. Immagine yourself to be water, or to not exist. Transform yourself; I mean, isn't that easier than transforming something that was never meant to change? If you think about it, what I'm saying-"

"Sandru, it's okay," she cut across quickly. "I completely agree. It's definitely at least worth a shot."

She approached the tree once again, Sandru watching carefully, and placed her hand against it, closing her eyes.

_I am the water, I am the wind. I will pass through this like it isn't there. No, I am not here. I am nothing. And now I will melt into nothing._

She pressed against the tree and nothing happened. She stole a glance at Sandru, who shrugged, then turned her attention back to the tree.

_You know, maybe this would work if I wasn't so SICK of being nothing, _she thought angrily. _I want to be something, something so powerful it can turn itself into nothing whenever it chooses. Like Alucard._

_No! _she yelled at herself. _I have to stop thinking about him. He's not here to help me, there's nothing he can do for me._

She leaned against the tree once again, concentrating with all her might.

_I am something. I am the master of matter. Logic holds no limits for me. If I wish to pass through this tree, then it shouldn't matter which of us is the water, only that it yields to me. So, let me through!_

And, just like that, she fell through, toppling out the other side of the trunk and tripping over a tree root with a terrified squeak. She landed on the ground with a dull thud, wincing slightly. Then, she realized what had happened.

"Sandru, I did it!" she called excitedly.

"Yeah, I saw!" he said, rushing over to her. "What did you do?"

"I told the tree to let me through," she replied.

Sandru looked at her with eyebrows raised. "Y'know, I'm officially creeped out by you vampires. You're far too powerful for your own good. Um, tree, would you mind moving? I was walking here."

"It wasn't like that," Seras said, punching him lightly in the arm. "It was sort of a realization that as a vampire, matter means nothing to me. I can manipulate it in any way I choose, whether it is my own body or a solid object."

"Again, power," Sandru said with a sigh. "You know, it was a really fortunate day you came to us. I know I feel better sleeping at night when you're around."

"You never actually sleep at night," Seras pointed out. "You're always out here, training with me."

He shrugged, grinning at her. "Day and night don't mean much to my kind."

"I wish I could be like that," Seras said wistfully. "I was sort of surprised to find out werewolves don't need the moon to transform."

"Yes, but we're more powerful _with_ it," Sandru replied. "And the bigger the moon, the stronger we are. That's where all those legends come from with the 'can only transform at the full moon' thing."

She smiled at him.

"You know?" he said looking down at her. "You're really, _really_ tiny."

Seras scowled by this sudden turn in the conversation. "What has that got to do with anything?" she snapped.

"Well, when I met you, you were so powerful that I could never really see you as smaller than me," he replied, grinning crookedly.

"And now I'm weak?" She stared at him inquisitively.

"No, that's not what I mean!" he said hastily. "It's just, now that I've gotten to know you, I'm finally noticing just how small you are."

"5'5'' isn't that small," Seras said scathingly. "You're just big."

He shrugged. "Shouldn't you be practicing?"

"Yes, mother," she groaned, smiling up at him again.

-

Seras pulled herself out of the bush, still clutching her stomach and trying to keep herself from shaking. She had never felt so sick in her afterlife. It was even worse than the long months in which she had starved herself from blood.

"I-I don't understand," she mumbled. "Vampires aren't supposed to get sick. And I've been drinking blood regularly."

"Everyone gets sick," Daciana replied, handing her a towel to wipe her face. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Though, Daciana had been skeptical of Seras at first, sharing a room had helped them to see eye to eye, but she still wasn't thrilled to have a large wooden coffin lying parallel to her bed.

"Thank you," Seras murmured, cleaning her face. She sat on the back porch beside the young she-wolf, trying to force a smile.

"I'd say you look pale, but that wouldn't mean much," Daciana said, holding back a giggle at her own joke. Seras rolled her eyes, but managed a grin nonetheless.

"Like I said, the dead don't get sick," she replied.

"Do you feel any better?" Daciana asked.

"Yeah, a little," Seras admitted.

"Then it was probably just something you ate," Daciana said cheerfully. "Now come help me cook breakfast and then you can go to sleep. Dawn's still about two hours away right?"

"One and half," Seras said halfheartedly, following her into the kitchen.

"Seriously, with you around, who needs a clock?"

"Glad I could be of service."

-

It was completely dark in the bedroom when she felt a presence with her.

"Alucard..." Seras whispered, looking up into his fierce, crimson eyes.

His fingers slid beneath her throat, tilting her face up to his as he kissed her.

"Alucard, what are you doing here?" she asked in disbelief.

"What does it look like?" he retorted, pulling her from the coffin and into his arms so that he could kiss the side of her neck. "I came to see you. Surely you cannot object to a little visit from your old master."

If she did, he did not give her time to say so. His lips were on hers once more, his kiss deep and passionate, making her feel weak at the knees. She clung to him for support, trying to ignore the tears in her eyes.

"Are you crying, Seras?" he asked in her ear, extending his tongue to the lobe. He dragged his tongue down the side of her face and up to the crimson flow of tears, lapping them up eagerly.

"Now that you're here, I feel like I shouldn't have left," she admitted. "Because when you're around, I can't see my life clearly. All I see is you. And I'm stupid enough to assume your actions are a sign of affection, rather than lust."

"Hmm, is it so foolish?" he asked, his lips gliding across her throat. "You should come back with me. You don't belong with these wolves; you can feel it, can't you? How out of place you are."

"This is my home," Seras said uneasily.

"_I_ am your home," Alucard replied. "Where I am, there you should also be, my beautiful No-Life Queen."

Seras' eyes shot open. She was still lying on her back, staring at the lid to the coffin. Gingerly, she pushed it off and looked around the room. Empty. The sunlight creeping through the curtains quickly made her pull it back over her again.

_It was a dream,_ she realized. So why was her body on fire? She shifted uncomfortably, trying to drive the image of her master's face from her mind.

_Alucard, why can't you just leave me alone?_ She wondered to herself, rolling over in the coffin.

But even when she closed her eyes, her imagination went wild, pretending she was in _his _coffin, in _his_ arms. She growled at the darkness, recognizing immediately the heat the was spreading through her body.

_This is stupid, _she thought, clenching her fists. _How can he be so far away and still have this kind of power over me? He never wanted me anyway; I was always a toy. So why can't I stop thinking about him?_

And then, a wave of nausea collided with her; she stumbled from the coffin, fighting to keep control of her stomach, and found a bucket Daciana had left for her in case she got sick in the day. She wretched into it, wanting to cry.

-

"The conversion is complete."

Alucard looked up from the map, and saw Sigismund standing beside him, a dark smile on his lips.

"Perfect," the king of the vampires said. "You know how to proceed?"

"Of course, Vlad. All shall fall into place before the month has ended. How are the new recruits coming along?"

Alucard gave a half-shrug, returning to his maps. "It is difficult to deal with so many emotions at one time. That's why I gave their training over to Lazarević. At least now he's finally good for something."

Sigismund chuckled. "Now, Vlad, that wasn't nice. Poor Lazarević surrounded by fifty fledglings?"

"It's not like their _my_ fledglings," Alucard replied. "I barely had the patience to put up with one, let alone fifty."

"At least they're male," Sigismund reminded him. Alucard glanced up at him for about half a second and then began scribbling something on a piece of paper. Sigismund did not seem to be finished. He walked around the table, halting behind Alucard's chair.

"Yes?" Alucard asked pointedly.

"How long has it been?"

"Nearly two months."

"So, you _have_ been keeping track," Sigismund said triumphantly.

"Obviously. Now, you know I _hate_ to hurt people, Sigismund, so I recommend you leave before you put yourself into a position where your life is in danger." Alucard was smirking maliciously.

"Of course, I was just leaving," Sigismund said hastily, laughing as he moved to the door. "So, when this war is over, you will go to her?"

Alucard put his quill down and folded his long, slender fingers, looking up from beneath the strands of silky, black hair. "Before this war is over, she will come to me," he replied.

Even as Sigismund was leaving, he did not miss the maniacal grin on Alucard's lips.

-

"Pregnant?!" Seras snapped, jumping to her feet and making for the kitchen door. Sandru, grabbed hold of her arm and dragged her back to her chair.

"Calm down, Seras, it's just a possibility," he said, forcing her to sit. She glared up at him.

"What kind of slut do you think I am?" she asked.

"The vampire kind," Sandru replied. "Don't act all offended. I know how things work in your clans. Females rarely retain their virginity for long after their conversion."

"For your information, I retained mine for five years, and would have retained it longer if I hadn't been such a moron," Seras snarled.

"So you admit you're not a virgin," Sandru stated flatly.

"Y-yes," she mumbled. "But what are the chances that I got pregnant? It was just one time..."

"One time?" Sandru repeated in disbelief. "Are you that bad in the bedroom?"

Seras gave him an icy glare before replying, "It was the night right before I left. My master gave me my freedom at a price."

"Draculae always struck me as a bastard," Sandru muttered. "In all the stories about him, he's always depicted as one of the fiercest, cruelest vampires to walk the earth."

Seras shrugged. "Well, he is. I've seen him do some terrible things. But then, so have I. It's the nature of our kind- we're all sadistic. Draculae is just powerful enough to do what he wants. It's almost impossible to kill him."

"And you _slept_ with him?" Sandru said with a laugh.

"Females are not attracted by human characteristics," she explained. "We're attracted by power, or at least so I've been told. I guess I was doomed to be attracted to him from the moment I met him. As far as power goes... well, there's no comparison. He _is_ the ultimate monster."

"My, my, Seras. Won't Vlad be pleased to know you feel so strongly about him?"

Seras felt a shiver run up her spine; she recognized that voice.

"Radu?" she said uneasily, slowly turning around.

"Who else?" the young vampire replied, bending over her hand. "It seems I have become my dear brother's dog these days. Perhaps it is revenge for courting you."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I have been traveling from pack to pack, delivering _Lord_ Draculae's message. I am here to see your pack leader, and, of course, you. My brother sends his regards, and this flower."

He handed her a rose with glossy, black petals, just like the one Alucard had given her during the courting rituals. Seras took it and stared at it.

"Of course, he'll be very interested to know your pregnant..." Radu continued.

"It's just a possibility," Seras said fiercely.

"No, it's not," Radu replied. "I can sense your child's aura."

Seras would, if possible, have blanched just then. "W-what?" she whispered. "S-so I r-really am... pregnant?"

"Regrettably, yes," Radu said with a sigh. "I had hoped that I might still be able to win you over. But it seems my brother found another way to seal you to him."

"That bastard!" Seras growled. "He did this on purpose!"

"Perhaps," Radu said thoughtfully. "But here's an interesting fact for you." He put his arm around her shoulder and leaned in to speak in her ear, "It takes the consent of both vampires to make a child. You wanted this, too."

Seras pulled away from him.

"Werewolf," he said, addressing Sandru. "Would you be so kind as to go and fetch your pack leader while I have a brief word with the Draculina?"

"S-sure," Sandru agreed, though he seemed reluctant to leave Seras alone with Radu.

"Don't worry," Seras said, forcing a smile. "If he touches me, Draculae will kill him."

Radu smirked as Sandru left, saying, "Only if you tell him."

She rolled her eyes. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Your child," Radu replied. "You should come back with me. Vampiric pregnancies are not like human ones. You will endure a lot of pain, and a lot of bloodlust. Those pups you strive so hard to protect might get hurt."

"I'm not going back," Seras said firmly.

"Even at risk to the pack that protected you?"

Seras hesitated. "Honestly, Radu, how bad is it?" she asked.

"You will be constantly hungry as the months go on and no matter how much you eat, you will always want more. I have heard that the blood of the mate can help to reduce this hunger, but even that cannot suppress it. You will undergo violent moodswings, and will be a danger to all those around you. And the pain is very intense, so I have heard. Coincidentally, you are not the only pregnant vampiress from the draconists."

"Really?" Seras asked in surprise. "Who else?"

"Danuta, Vytautus' wife. Do you know her?"

Seras nodded, smiling at the thought of the overly cheerful blond, always bopping around with a big smile on her delicate face.

"Why were their no children before now?" she asked abruptly.

"Children cannot be put into the same sleep that we can. Once we had decided the sleep was necessary, Vlad insisted that we cease breeding until the children were old enough to make their own way in the world. He relocated them to America, where vampire hunters were scarce, or let them join the draconists if he thought they were worthy. In this case, that was only one, who declined the invitation and went to America anyway. But we are free again, aren't we? It is only natural that we reproduce."

"I see," Seras muttered, idly fumbling with a lock of her hair. She didn't know what to do.

"Just because you come back doesn't mean anything," he said, looking down at her. "You don't have to be Vlad's mate and you don't have to stay past the birth of your child. It will simply be the easiest way to endure your pregnancy."

She nodded numbly. "I need time to think."

"That will be fine. The dogs are back anyway. I'll leave you with your friend."

Sandru and Fane had entered the house (even Seras could recognize their scents) and Radu left her, going into the common room. Seras heard him exchange some words with Fane and then Sandru entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. Fane and Radu stepped outside.

"So..." he said, looking at her.

Seras sat too, staring at the rose she still held between her fingers.

"So," he prompted again, when she said nothing. "What did he want?"

"He wants me to go back with him."

"You're not actually considering, are you?" Sandru asked, his voice urgent.

"T-the pregnancy," she mumbled.

"We'll help you," he said quickly. "You don't need to go back."

Seras shook her head, turning the rose over and over in her hands. "I'm a danger to the pack right now. The pups in particular. I won't have the same sort of control I have now while I'm pregnant. I could, and probably will, hurt someone."

"C'mon, Seras," Sandru said, laughing nervously. "That guy's probably just lying to get you to go back with him."

Seras shook her head. "He has nothing to gain from it. He knows I won't ever be his mate. If I go back, I will have to stay with Draculae, so that I can drink his blood, and so that he can keep me under control."

"So Draculae probably told him to lie to you," Sandru retorted.

"He doesn't know I'm pregnant."

Sandru was struggling to find a way around her present dilema; he wasn't having much luck. Eventually he turned his attention to the rose in her hands. "What's that for?" he asked, noticing how tightly she held onto it.

"It means that his offer still stands," she replied.

"What offer?"

"To be his permanent mate," she said softly.

"Wait, perhaps I'm confused," Sandru said suddenly. "You're in love with Draculae, and he asked you to spend eternity with him, so you ran away?"

Seras felt something in her snap. "I never expected you or anyone else to understand! Maybe _you_ would be able to spend eternity with someone you love and never have them love you back, but personally, I think I'd go insane! It would be a daily lie, trying to convince myself that his actions meant more than they did, or that his words were more than sweet talk. But I can't do that! I can't be with someone who doesn't actually want me!"

Sandru swallowed. "I don't think I've ever seen you that mad about something."

"I've been suppressing it all this time," she muttered, resting her head on the table. "Trying to pretend it wasn't there." She laughed lightly, and murmured, "the lengths we go to to keep ourselves sane..."

At that moment, Fane and Radu reentered the room, both looking from Seras to Sandru; they had probably heard her shouting. In fact, she was certain they had. She colored and looked up at Radu.

"You've decided?"

She nodded. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

-

So, how do you think Alu-chan will react when he sees his little Seras again? All I can say is things are going to be a hell of a lot more interesting at Castle Draculae now that Seras is back, and suffering from violent moodswings. Romance, humor and a whole lot of yelling are sure to be found from here on out. And there's that itsy-bitsy war that will change life as Seras knows it, even if she knows nothing about it. Maybe she can get a few answers out of Alucard... we'll see! Review!! XD


	8. Homecoming

So, for starters, I'd like to apologize for the slow update - school deadlines were driving me insane and I couldn't find much time to get it written. But anyway, here you go! Read, review, worship... whatever you feel like doing. D I'm not overly picky. And I apologize again for slow updates.

-

"Radu!" Seras hissed to the air, though she knew it was useless. His aura was lingering a good distance away, in some obscure region of Castle Draculae. That bastard. It was so like him to abandon her like this; he probably thought it would be funny. She huffed angrily and began walking across the entrance hall, hoping no one would see her.

Of course, her hopes were quickly dashed when one of the draconists, whom she did not know, walked through a nearby wall and stopped to stare at her. His eyes quickly traveled to her stomach and a knowing smirk crept onto his face. Then he kept walking, without saying a word. Seras scowled after him; there was no privacy when you were a vampire, especially if you were an inexperienced vampire.

_I need to train more, _she thought to herself. _If only to get a little privacy._ At least she had gotten the hang of phasing, though. That would certainly be useful in a place like this; she had a feeling that there were rooms with no doors, only accessible to a vampire.

Seras yawned, leaning against the railing of the stairs, folding her arms across her chest, wondering what she should do. She didn't know where Alucard was; for that matter, she didn't even sense him in the castle. Was it possible that he had developed a way to mask his aura? Or was he simply away at the moment? Seras shrugged, pondering her possible options.

She could go look for him, but the castle was enormous, and if he had wanted to see her, he would already be there. She could continue standing there, but then every time someone walked by, they would stare at her midriff and smirk. Or she could go wait for Alucard in his room, the one place she was certain no one would bother her. Would that be too forward? Would he be angry with her?

"Seras...?"

"Danuta!" Seras exclaimed, turning to face the tiny blond (ironically, the same build and height as she, though perhaps not as curvy), smiling eagerly. "It's been so long!"

"What are you doing here?" Danuta asked in wonder, standing on the steps and leaning over the rail. "I mean, I thought I sensed you, so I came to investigate and..." her eyes flicked to Seras' stomach, "Oh, Seras! You're pregnant?"

"And you!" Seras replied, trying to smile. "I heard from Radu."

"I can't believe you're back!" Danuta said eagerly. "And pregnant! I didn't know you and Lord Vlad were so... involved. How did he react when he found out?"

"Um, he sort of doesn't know yet," Seras said nervously. "I haven't seen him since I left."

"Vytautus says he hasn't been here for a few days," Danuta said. "I assumed he had gone after you. But if you haven't seen him, then I suppose he must be doing something for the draconists. It's just... usually he sends one of the others so that he can stay here and run things."

Seras sighed deeply. "For some reason, I'm relieved... that I don't have to face him just yet."

"You look exhausted," Danuta observed.

"Maybe a little," seras said with a shrug. "I ran all the way here and I haven't eaten in a few days. But I don't really have anywhere to sleep."

"What about Vlad's room?"

Seras shifted uneasily. "I don't really know what sort of terms we're on. The way I left was kinda... well, we were fighting, and..." Seras trailed off, shaking her head. "I just don't want to upset him in any way."

"It's alright, I know a place you can sleep," Danuta said quickly. "It's a bedroom where humans used to stay."

"Humans?" Seras said in alarm.

Danuta's face was slightly flushed, like she was embarrassed. "It's not really my place to explain," she said quietly. "But it's not in use at the moment, so I am certain no one will mind. Come with me."

She took Seras' hand, guiding her around the edge of the rail, pulling her up the stairs. They walked along the same hall that led to Alucard's room, but instead detoured through a door that held a hidden staircase. They walked up this, down two adjoining halls, and up another staircase, one that spiraled upwards along the inside of a tower. They walked for a long time until they reached the very top, where Seras was surprised to find a fairly comfortable room.

It held a four poster bed, a table for two, a wash stand and a broad fireplace that did not look like it had been used in centuries. Broad windows lined the curved walls, giving a perfect view of the valley. Seras was thankful to see that their were thick drapes that could be pulled across the glass during the day.

"Thank you, Danuta," Seras said, smiling at her. "This is perfect."

Danuta smiled back, and then looked out the window. "Oh! Seras! Look at this!"

Seras followed her to the window, and peered down at the valley. The pre-dawn sky glimmered down on the valley of Arefu, through which was moving a mass of... men? Seras looked closer. Their pale skin shone slightly, their eyes glinting.

"Who are all those vampires?" she said in awe, glancing sideways at her companion.

"They're the fledglings," she replied. "The Dragon's Army, as their calling themselves. Lord Vlad insisted that we have a small force of our own, in addition to the others. Of course, fifty seven fledglings isn't exactly enough to frighten the other powerful clans, but it is enough to destroy cities."

Seras listened without interrupting; she was at least intelligent enough to identify Danuta's words as worth hearing. They were about 'the war,' the one that she still knew very little about. Any small amounts of information she could acquire were appreciated.

"Who's fledglings are they?" she asked. "They're all male."

"Well, my fledgling is called Anton," Danuta replied. "But he's not really mine. He belongs to Lord Vlad. I just created him. All the fledglings were created by the other vampiresses. Some created three, others two, and a few only made one. Since I was pregnant, I wanted to refrain from taking on too much. My emotions will be hectic enough as it is!"

"When do the... mood swings... actually begin?"

"It changes for every women," Danuta told her. "I'm told that the younger you are, the sooner they begin. And they don't end until the child is born."

Seras groaned. "Damn him. He couldn't have waited until I'd lived a couple hundred years."

Danuta giggled. "I'm surprised he managed to wait as long as he did; you're very attractive."

"Thank you?"

"Relax, it's a compliment," Danuta assured her.

"You seem excited about this pregnancy," Seras observed.

"Aren't you?" Danuta asked in surprise. "Just think! A beautiful baby! I hope it's a boy; that's what Vytautus would want... he seems so pleased about my pregnancy."

Seras looked into the glowing face of her companion. "Was Vytautus the one who turned you?"

"Oh, no," Danuta said quickly. "I was not turned. I was born."

"So, you're a full blooded vampire," Seras muttered. She had never knowingly met one of those, though she was certain there were others among the draconists and their wives. "Does being born a vampire make you stronger?"

"Not that I know of," Danuta replied thoughtfully. "Though, as with anything, bloodlines are crucial to a strong child. After all, Vlad was not born, yet he is the most powerful among us. I always found that fascinating. He is the only of our kind that had neither a sire, nor vampire parents. It's strange, isn't it?"

Seras shook her head. "We are only as powerful as we wish to be. This is what he wanted. 'Vlad' pushed the limits of vampirism through sheer willpower and intelligence. He made himself what he is, and then Hellsing made him worse."

"What do you mean?" Danuta questioned.

"Well, Hellsing 'perfected' him, if you will. He gained some abilities that he did not have before, abilities that he says I inherited from him. But, of course, I'm as confused as you are. He just likes to drop hints for me, possibly because he finds it funny and he knows I'm not as intelligent as him. I may be his fledgling, but my strength will always be a fraction of his. I sort of wonder what my child will be like. Will it be strong? Vicious? Intelligent?"

"In short, will it resemble its father, or you?" Danuta finished for her. "What do you hope for?"

"I hope..." Seras murmured, pondering the question. "I hope that if its a boy, it grows to be a rival for its father; never better, but always there. And if its a girl... I hope she's poised and beautiful, and everything I'm not. I sincerely hope that my child surpasses me in looks, intelligence and power."

Danuta nodded. "I hope that as well, for myself."

Seras suddenly looked up at the blond, saying, "Is it strange to sleep with a man who has other wives as well?"

Danuta looked taken aback, but not unwilling to answer. She said, "My father had four wives, and my mother never seemed to mind. I don't mind either. His wives are like my sisters. When we're alone, Vytautus sometimes says that I have his heart, Juliana has his mind and Mikova has his soul. Essentially, he cares for us equally, though in slightly different ways."

"And you don't ever get jealous...?" Seras asked.

Danuta shook her head.

"I see. I'm trying to understand everything about our culture, but it's difficult. There are some things that I'm not ready to think about, and others that I don't think I'll ever be able to accept."

"Everything will make sense as time goes on," Danuta said comfortingly. "Many fledglings experience these emotions; confusion, hurt, disappointment... at least you _chose_ this life. And you have a master to take care of you."

"He's not my master anymore," Seras said sadly.

"He will _always_ be your master," Danuta corrected her. "The bond between you will never fade, no matter how many years past. He is still your sire and you are still his child."

Seras smiled. "Thank you."

Danuta nodded and smiled back.

-

Seras sighed sleepily, curling against the smooth silk of the bed in her sleep. _Silk?_ Some distant, more alert part of her recognized this as wrong, but she quickly silenced it, rolling over. Vaguely, she thought she heard someone calling her name.

She flipped again so that she was flat on her back, one arm across her waist, the other beneath her head. Unwillingly, she opened her eyes.

"Welcome back, _Police Girl_."

"It's good to be back, _Master_."

Alucard smirked down at her. He was leaning over the edge of the coffin in which Seras was laying, his eyes traveling curiously up and down her form.

"I'll admit I'm surprised," he told her. "I didn't expect you back so soon."

Seras propped herself up on one elbow. "'So soon'?" she quoted. "So you were expecting me?"

"One way or another," he replied. "Once I've decided I want something, I don't usually let it go until it's mine."

"Then why did you let me go to begin with?"

"I believed it was what would make you happy. But now I know better."

Seras frowned up at him. "You think you know me better than I know myself?"

"Possibly. You should recall that I had unlimited access to your thoughts for five years. Even now the barriers have begun to break down. I was able to obtain your location as you slept, even from my distant location."

"Why are they breaking down?" Seras asked in surprise.

"Because you want them to," he said simply. "Your subconscious wants me to understand and be a part of you. Of course, you could easily fix this with a little concentration, should you wish it."

"Have my barriers broken for everyone? Can anyone read my thoughts now?" Seras wondered uneasily.

"No. Only I. Your subconscious is _very_ loud and _very_ specific." He was grinning smugly at her. Seras scowled and flipped over so that she didn't have to look at him.

"It's the middle of the day," she grumbled. "Can't you let me sleep?"

"It's almost dusk," he replied. "Look at me."

"No."

Alucard grabbed her shoulders and flipped her onto her back, slipping into the coffin with her so that she was carefully pinned beneath him. The closeness was suffocating, intoxicating, and so wonderful, yet uncomfortable at the same time. She didn't know what to say, or what to do.

_I still act like a virgin,_ she complained to herself, feeling the familiar blush on her cheeks.

Alucard's grin seemed to broaden.

"Um, Alucard..." she began cautiously.

"Yes, Seras?"

"About me being back," she said nervously. "Well, it's only temporary. Until the pregnancy is over. Th-this doesn't mean anything."

"Of course, of course," he said silkily. Seras did _not_ like the look in his eyes; it was too passive and pleased, like he'd already won whatever game they were playing. "Now when your child is born, do you plan to take it with you?"

"Y-yes," she said uncertainly.

"And do you believe that I will _allow_ you to do so? It is, after all, my child, too."

Seras froze, suddenly identifying his angle. Even Alucard couldn't possibly be that manipulative, could he? To threaten to take away her baby if she left? It was... disgustingly cruel!

"Now, before you get angry, try looking at it from my point of view," he instructed. "You are thinking of this child as yours when it is_ours_. And I assure you, the pregnancy is as unpleasant for the male as it is for the female. You think that this child will mean nothing to me? It will be the fruit of hard work, persistence and above all, patience, which I have very little of. I intend to watch it grow up, away from flea-bitten wolves and humans, in vampiric society where it has the best chance of thriving."

Seras felt a sudden urge to cry which she quickly restrained. Alucard leaned closer to her, putting his lips to her ear.

"Is it so bad to be with me?" he asked in a hushed voice, entwining one of his hands into her much smaller one and bringing it to his lips to kiss it.

Seras failed to restrain her tears any longer. "Stop it!" she sobbed, leaning into his chest. "Why can't you just leave me alone? Why do you have to keep tormenting me?"

"Because you are worth it," he replied. "And I intend to make you mine in every way."

Seras felt herself blushing in a whole new way. She had never heard Alucard say anything quite so... complimentary.

"I wish I knew what you were thinking," she said.

"I am thinking that I would really love to take advantage of you while you're pinned beneath me and then have you agree to be my bride."

Seras scoffed. "And you say _I'm_ easily excited?"

Alucard smirked. "Should I get down on one knee with a ring like a human? Would that please you, Seras?"

"No!" she replied angrily. "Nothing you could do would please me!"

"Even_love_ you?"

Seras looked up at him. "You're incapable of love."

"But I could make you believe otherwise. I could weave a comfortable lie around your life, one so convincing you would never think to question it. I could hypnotize you into forgetting this conversation."

"Never," Seras said firmly.

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you to see me as something other than a toy."

"If you are a toy, then you are the favored doll that the child sleeps with at night and carries to school each day."

"A toy is still a toy," Seras reminded him. "And as soon as the child sees a better, shinier toy, the old one will be replaced, put on the shelf with the other forgotten toys."

"Is that what this is about?" Alucard asked, raising an eyebrow. "You believe I'm going to replace you?"

"So you admit I am just a toy to you!" Seras accused.

Alucard sighed angrily, and brought his hungry lips down to hers. He kissed her until she went limp beneath him, and only then drew back to say, "You are so much more than that-" he kissed her again, gently this time, "You are my queen," another kiss, "my treasure, and above all, you are mine."

Seras felt as though her face was on fire, she stared up at him wordlessly.

Then a devilish smirk distorted his features. "And now you get to decide if I meant any of that, or if I'm just trying to get you into bed."

Seras glared at him, all the warmth flying from her body in seconds. "Well if there was ever any chance of that, you just ruined it."

Alucard chuckled and rolled off of her. "You're so easily upset."

"Just when I'm with you," she retorted.

He grinned, laying on his side beside her. He placed his free hand on the pale skin of her neck, trailing the tips of his fingers across it delicately, causing her to shiver.

"I think you meant it," Seras said thoughtfully, shifting a little closer to him.

"Do you?" he asked, brushing his fingers against her collarbone. "Is that a yes?"

"Possibly," she replied, chancing a small smile.

Alucard's grin grew as he leaned over her, sliding his hand from her neck to her stomach, and then around to her back. He pulled her against him, leaning his face closer to her throat.

"You haven't been eating," he observed, as though he could somehow smell the amount of blood she had consumed over the past few days.

"I just throw up anything I eat," Seras complained. "It's like morning sickness, except it's all the time."

"Drink my blood."

"W-why?" Seras stuttered in alarm.

"Because you will be able to stomach it," he replied. "You need to be well-fed if the child is to survive. Now drink."

He pulled her forcefully up to his neck, holding her head there. Seras hesitated, then obeyed, sinking her fangs into his cool skin. His blood was no less delicious the second time she tasted it, but she no longer experienced the slightly painful, burning sensation that had accompanied her growth into a true nosferatu. In fact, she quickly realized she was enjoying it a little _too_ much.

She broke away and moved to the far side of the coffin. "You did that on purpose," she said, glaring up at him.

"You needed the nourishment," he replied.

Seras shifted uncomfortably, feeling the desire run wild through her body. "And I suppose this is just an added bonus?"

"Precisely," Alucard said, obviously enjoying her present state of arousal. "But you should get used to it. This is what will happen every time you need to feed. It could be a natural method of ensuring that the male stays with the female throughout the pregnancy and willingly feeds her. It's better not to fight it."

"So says you," she snapped, trying to resist the urge to go to him.

"I need an answer, Seras," he said abruptly. "You are not the only one the feeding affects."

"Oh," Seras mumbled, blushing. Did she have any reason to refuse him? She wanted him, and he wanted her. They were having a child together. What more could she ask for?

As her answer, she moved forward to kiss him lightly on the lips, knowing that there would be no turning back. No sooner had she done this than Alucard let out a low, feral growl and forced her backwards against the base of the coffin, looming over her as he struggled to remove her clothes.

Seras was breathing deeply, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. Everything seemed frenzied and blurry, a whirl of crimson and shadows that captivated her senses. She felt his mouth upon hers, his hands working at the ties to her dress, his hair falling like a shroud around their faces. His lips moved downward, causing Seras to gasp and groan. She flung her head backwards against the soft silk lining of the coffin, trying to control the powerful sensations flooding her body. His mouth was fierce and possessive, leaving no area of her skin untouched. He sucked and bit and scraped his fangs along her slender body, trailing his tongue across the bloodied areas with delight.

Alucard managed to push the rest of the dress off her, though she wore a corset and underwear beneath it, which made him frown.

"In future," he said in a low voice, "I would prefer if you wore less complicated outfits."

Seras glared at him. "Your outfit is more complicated than mine," she pointed out.

Alucard smirked, and his clothes vanished. "Do you really think that is a problem?"

"Cheater," she muttered, blushing and helping him with the lace of her corset. "I wish I could do that."

"I could teach you," he replied. "I can teach you many things."

"Teach me now?" she asked.

"No, later," he replied gruffly, before covering her mouth with his. "Now is not the time for words."

"Then why are you talking?"

_I'm not._

_Bastard,_ she replied.

He chuckled and kissed her once more, finally managing to remove her corset. He tossed it aside, sliding his hands down her body, causing her to arch against him. His fingers hooked around the sides of her underwear and pulled it from her body, adding it to the pile of clothing that contained her dress and corset.

"Flawless," he said softly in her ear, leaning back so he could admire her naked form.

Seras squirmed, butterflies exploding in her stomach. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all. As a master, Alucard was intimidating, but as a lover... well, he was nothing short of perfect. He seemed to know exactly what to say to excite her, or to put her in the mood. His hands were skilled, his cool breath on her skin sending shivers through her body.

She leaned upward towards him, wanting to feel the brush of his icy smooth skin against hers. She touched her fingers to his rock hard chest, and pressed her lips against the base of his neck, loving the sensation that swept through her.

_Flawless._ That was an odd word for her, particularly from someone like him. They made a strange couple- the world's fiercest vampire, and the world's most pathetic. She was so far from flawless and he was so close to it, with his ivory skin, his sculpted muscles, his silky black hair and his stunning, mesmerizing eyes. Even he had been human, his eyes would have been the most beautiful she had ever seen. Everything about him was so... perfect. And everything about her wasn't.

_I hope my child is more like him than me, _she thought distantly. _Beautiful, powerful... everything I'm not._

And then she decided not to think about it anymore as Alucard's mouth possessed hers and she felt herself drowning in a storm cloud. It was easy to forget her problems when she was so close to him, particularly when he acted like this. The desire pulsed in her veins and she could smell it on his skin. If this was a lie, or a dream, then it was the best one she had ever experienced and she willingly gave herself over to it.

-

A/N: Fluffy? Yes, but hopefully in a good way. Next chapter should be interesting. We find out where Alucard was when Seras got back and the past gets dredged up, more information of "the war" and Alucard has a special job for Seras...bastard. But we love him anyway, right? I'd also like to note that though this is manga based, I've only ready through Vol. 5, so... yeah... Anyway, review!


	9. The Will to Serve

Again, sorry for the delay- my updates might be kinda slow for the next 2 weeks, given that I have exams. But after that, it's christmas break! XD Anyway, enjoy the next chappie! R&R

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Seras slowly opened her eyes, looking blearily around. Her pupils dilated, adjusting to the shadows.

"Alucard?" she murmured, sitting up a little so that her hair brushed against the lid of the coffin. She quickly realized that he was no longer in the coffin with her and slumped back down, wondering if she should attempt to dress herself.

She then considered that Alucard might do something cruel, like drag her naked downstairs because she wasn't ready in time. Yes, with Alucard, it was always better to be prepared. She clambered from the coffin, yawning slightly and wondering if Alucard had emptied the wardrobe he had given her when she left. She opened it and found it fully stocked.

_He really _did_ expect me to come back, _she thought curiously, fingering through the dresses. She was trying to decide if she should wear something flashy, or something inconspicuous. She was fairly certain that Alucard would prefer the first of the two choices.

_All the more reason to choose the second! s_he decided with a giggle, searching for something dull and ordinary.

"Hmm, that won't do, Seras," said a smooth voice in her ear. "Trying to deliberately make me angry? How are we ever going to get along like that?"

"You'd get _angry_ over what I wear?" she asked, innocently. "You're so emotional."

Alucard's velvety chuckle resounded in her ear as careful hands brushed against her waist. "And why do you insist on downplaying your better features? While your face is quite attractive, much of your appeal lies in your body. Particularly," his hands slid upwards and over her breasts, "in this area."

Seras felt herself wishing she was dressed. She felt her face glowing a deep crimson and refused to turn to look at him for that reason. She hated the satisfied smirk he always had on his face when he made her want him, which was quite often.

Then his arms fell to his side and he moved around her to the wardrobe, looking for something that suited his tastes. He tossed an outfit to her and Seras looked at it with confusion.

"Pants?" she asked, glancing up at him.

"You'll need them," he replied, smirking. "I have a special surprise for you when you're ready."

Seras eyed him warily as she dressed herself. The outfit, like all the others, fit her perfectly. It felt strange to be wearing boys clothes after three months in a dress, but she quickly adjusted and soon found it far more comfortable. She stretched happily, kicking her legs a little bit and enjoying her new-found freedom.

When Alucard handed her the pair of combat boots she had worn for years in Hellsing, she was even more surprised.

"I thought you threw away all my old things," she told him as she laced her shoes.

He did not reply, only watched her in thoughtful silence. Seras moved to the mirror and quickly forced her hair upward in a ponytail before turning to face him expectantly.

"So what's this "surprise"?" she asked curiously.

Alucard smiled mischievously and extended his hand to her, pulling her towards him when she took it. "You will see soon enough," he assured her, phasing them through the floor. They passed through another wall, and then appeared in the entrance hall, where all fifty seven fledglings were standing, some of which jumped upon their appearance.

Alucard released her and stepped forward as Seras looked curiously around at the crowd, most of whom were looking right back at her. They seemed confused, and she seemed interested.

Alucard grinned at the exchange before saying, "Take a good look, children, this is your new teacher."

"W-what?!" Seras snapped rounding on him.

"You trained soldiers at Hellsing, did you not?" Alucard asked pointedly, obviously pleased by how upset she was.

"Yes, but there are better trained vampires than I here-," Seras protested.

"Not with your patience or abilities," Alucard replied. "You are young, too. You will... relate to them, perhaps? At any rate, you won't kill any. Lazarević already destroyed two."

"You put a _male_ in charge of fledglings?" Seras mused.

Alucard raised an eyebrow. "You would have done differently?" he asked.

Seras shrugged. "Well, males tend to be... impatient and quick to anger. A female would never kill a fledgling."

"I didn't kill you," Alucard said, as if curious to hear her response.

Seras fixed him with a look that said, 'don't make stupid comments' and he chuckled darkly. Seras sighed and said, "You could pick one of the other women. I don't see why it has to be me."

"They need gun training," Alucard replied. "And you need a workout. Have fun."

He turned to leave. "Wait, Alucard!" Seras called, starting after him. He stopped, glancing over his shoulder at her. Seras swallowed, trying to decide if she should protest. In the end, she decided it was a losing battle and simply asked, "Where are the weapons?"

Alucard smiled slightly. "You will find everything you need in the valley," he told her, and then disappeared in a cloud of shadows.

"Bastard," Seras mumbled, turning to face the fledglings. She sized them up- they were ordinary men ranging from eighteen to thirty years in age, all attractive. It seemed as though the vampiresses had been very selective in their choice of men.

Then she noticed a familiar, predatory look creeping into the many different eyes (not yet crimson) and scowled. She was used to dealing with horny men.

"Follow me," she said with a sigh, leading them to the door. A few of them automatically rushed forward to push open the massive gate (Seras assumed they had been trained to do this) and the group poured out into the moonlight. She leaped downward along the cliffs and was at least pleased to see that they could follow her without aid.

Upon landing on the moist evening grass of the valley of Arefu, Seras immediately spotted a stack of crates and rushed over to examine the contents. Just as Alucard had promised, there were enough rifles, targets and ammunition to supply the whole group. She began distributing guns among the fledglings until all fifty seven were equipped and thoroughly confused.

"Alright, how many of you have used a gun before?" she asked.

About a third raised their hands.

"Perfect," she continued. "Now those of you who raised your hands should know that this is going to be harder for you than it will be for the others." Some mumbling broke out at this, and she explained, "You will have to unlearn everything you have learned first. Forget everything you know about aim and precision, for they mean nothing here. You're among the dead now, boys. And to survive among the dead, you have to become one of the dead."

The fledglings were exchanging slightly nervous glances, though a few looked amused. Seras then began instructing them in the loading of the guns. She had a few help her distribute the amo and then walked among them ensuring that all the guns were loaded properly.

"Now," she said when every fledgling was adequately armed, "When shooting a gun, don't try using the scope. We're not humans; our eyes can see well beyond the scope on their own. Wait here and try not to kill each other."

She grabbed the targets and dashed with unnatural speed to a point about a thousand feet away and began erecting the targets. She then hurried back to the fledglings and said, "Begin by hitting those targets. When you succeed in doing that, we'll move on to further targets, and then to moving targets."

"How are we supposed to hit those?" one of the fledglings suddenly demanded. "It's too dark!"

"It's dark?" Seras asked with mock surprise. "At night? Wow, I could never imagine that." A few of the fledglings chuckled appreciatively. "We're vampires," Seras continued firmly. "The daylight is lethal to us, so I suggest you learn to shoot in the dark."

The fledgling shut his mouth before grumbling to one of his friends, "Stupid bitch."

Seras shot him through his left shoulder.

"What the fuck?!" he roared, clutching at the wound. "You just shot me!"

"Well spotted," Seras congratulated him. "Take it easy – you'll heal. See?"

Already the flow of blood was ceasing. He continued to glare at her as she began explaining about the 'third eye', by the end of which, the group at large was completely lost.

Seras sighed. "Why don't we just give it a shot and see what happens. Remember both eyes open, third eye focused."

The next two hours were spent with Seras' patience being stretched to the limit as she walked around, teaching them how to hold their guns, how to reload and cock them, trying to explain about the third eye. Every so often, a fledgling's eyes would start to glow a deep crimson and the head would fly off of the distant target, and then that fledgling would run up to her like a little child to excitedly tell her about their first experience with the third eye.

After one such instance, the sound of clapping reached her ears.

"Radu?" she asked in surprise. "I thought you would have left already. Weren't you supposed to be going around to all the different packs?"

Radu shrugged, walking towards her. "I'm on my way out now. I thought I'd come to say good-bye first."

"That was... thoughtful..." Seras said skeptically. "Is that all?"

"Essentially, yes," he replied. He continued to move closer to her in a slightly menacing way, causing her to shiver. She resisted the urge to back away from him, standing up a little taller, which didn't help much given her petite frame.

"Well, good bye," Seras said uncomfortably. The fledglings were all watching them intently.

"Yes," Radu said, leaning over her. "Good-bye." He placed his hand under her chin, tilting it upward. Seras felt her breath catch as his eyes bore into hers.

"R-Radu, could you please let go?" she asked as calmly as she could.

Radu responded with a faint choking noise. It took Seras several moments to realize that this was due to the long, slender fingers wrapped around her throat.

"Alucard!" she gasped, as Radu released her. "Let him go! You're hurting him!"

"Hmm, now isn't that a pity," Alucard replied, tightening his hold. Radu spluttered a few curses.

"You'll regret it," Seras said fervently.

"Will I? Or will you?" he returned sharply.

"_You _will," Seras assured him. "The draconists are difficult to replace. Please don't kill him."

"On the contrary, the fact that you defend him says something about where your loyalties lie," Alucard accused.

Seras cursed, grabbed a couple of rifles from two of the fledglings and proceeded to shoot Alucard's offending arm to pieces. Radu used the borrowed time to vanish, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.

Alucard's furious gaze landed on Seras, who stiffened, knowing she was going to be punished. The flesh of his arm began to regrow, and a few of the fledglings vomited in their horror. Seras was used to this however and refused to take her eyes from his threatening form. He halted just inches from her, raising his hand to her face. Seras flinched.

"You think I would strike you?" he asked curiously, touching his fingers to her cheek.

"Well, yes, I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility when I disobeyed you," Seras admitted, and then with a sudden, very out of character twist, she added, "Forgive me, my master, I had no right to interfere."

Alucard smirked. "You haven't seriously called me master in a while," he observed.

"You are, though," Seras replied. "I am yours, and only yours, in every way possible, just as you wanted."

He leaned closer to her, still smirking, and said in a silky voice, "Your fledglings are watching you."

"Then let this be a lesson to them," Seras returned, smiling slightly.

"And what lesson is that?" Alucard asked softly, sliding his fingers down to her neck. "Never disobey your master? Or keep your hands off of claimed women?"

Seras pulled away from him and turned back to look at the fledglings, all of whom were gazing open-mouthed at her. "Did I tell you to stop practicing?" she snapped, her face burning slightly. "If on the battle field, something you don't expect happens, you must not falter."

Her mind was doing summersaults. What had come over her all of a sudden? That inexplicable urge to serve Alucard that had possessed her, made her submit so easily. Was this his doing? She shrugged it off and returned to training, trying patiently once more to explain the third eye.

Alucard did not leave this time; he supervised her teaching, his eyes following her every movement with... excitement? The emotion was an unfamiliar one to her and she therefore found it difficult to interpret. Something about her had certainly peaked his interest. She could feel his gaze even when her back was turned and it made her wary, causing her to stutter in front of her 'students.' On the other hand, with Alucard standing there, they were very obedient and did not interrupt or complain like before. She found it a little annoying that he could so easily gain respect, when it was impossible for her.

_It's just like Hellsing all over again, _she complained to herself. _I'll always just be the tiny blond with the big bust – who respects someone like that?_

After another hour of training, Alucard intervened, saying that they had done enough for the time being. At this point, Seras looked up at him with surprise. The night was still reasonably young, and she was sure that he wasn't worried about 'wearing out the fledglings'.

Still, Seras knew better than to question him in front of others and therefore obeyed without complaint, telling the fledglings to fire the last of their rounds and then return the guns to the crates. She then sent them back to the castle, waiting until they were all well out of sight to say anything to Alucard.

"Is something wrong?" she asked slowly, turning to look at him. She was surprised to see how close he was to her.

"No, not at all," he assured her.

"Are you... angry with me?" she inquired tentatively. "About Radu?"

He smirked. "No, not quite. You were correct about that – I may have regretted my actions further down the road."

"Oh, really?" Seras said, surprised she had been correct about anything. "Then I'm not in trouble?"

"I wouldn't say that," he replied, and Seras felt her stomach twist into knots.

"I don't... understand..." she said weakly, feeling captured by his powerful gaze.

"Of course you don't. That's what makes you so fun to play with."

Seras felt her face burn. "What do you want?" she asked outright, shrinking away from him.

"What do you think?" he asked. Seras stiffened.

"You came out here and interrupted my lesson for _that_?" she asked in outrage.

"I interrupted your lesson when you were foolish enough to let Radu get too close to you," he replied coolly. "Don't make any mistake about it, Seras, Radu does _not _want to be your friend."

"I kind of already knew that," Seras replied in annoyance. "He's not exactly subtle about it. I mean, he's already kissed me once before and he's-," Seras realized instantly that she had made a mistake in telling Alucard about the kiss. A familiar emotion flickered through his eyes: vengeance. "Alucard, forget about it!" Seras said quickly, moving to the elder vampire. "It means nothing. _He _means nothing. I am yours, remember?"

She wrapped her small arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt. When Alucard did not respond to her movements, she knew that this was going to be more difficult than expected.

"Alucard, please don't be mad," she said in a quiet voice.

"You have nothing to fear from me," he replied. Seras caught on quickly to the implication.

"Leave Radu alone," she said firmly. "It's not a crime to want someone. He has never raped or hurt me, so forget about him."

"It is not so easy when you are a midian," Alucard said in a low voice. "It _is_ a crime to pursue another's mate. If he continues to persist, he will die regardless of your pleas. For now, I will let him go, in the interest of other things."

He smirked as he descended his lips to hers. Seras instantly began to struggle, which caused him to draw back after a short while, frowning down at her.

"Are you out of your mind?" she gasped, trying to wriggle free of his grasp. "We can't do that here _or_ now. Someone will see!"

"And...?"

"A-and... I refuse," she said firmly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yet I insist," he replied in a mock polite voice. "Were you not just saying that you are my servant?"

"I am," Seras replied, shifting uncomfortably in his arms.

"Then your master commands you to obey without complaint," he said, bending towards her once more.

"W-wait a minute!" Seras yelped, backing away. "I'm not saying 'no', just take me somewhere private."

In response, Alucard pushed her down to the grass and crouched over her. Somehow, the action caused something in Seras to snap, just as it had before and she felt once more that indescribable urge to serve him. She reached up to him and pulled him down to her before flipping over so that he was beneath her, her hips straddling his.

"My master," she purred seductively, bending over him and trailing her tongue across the exposed flesh of his neck. Her fingers began untying his shirt while her fangs worked at the clasp of his cape. With a snap, it came undone and the thick fabric fell into the grass. Shortly after, she tried to push his shirt from his shoulders, but his hands caught her wrists, halting her progress.

"Master?" she asked curiously, not daring to struggle against him. "Is this... not what you wanted?"

"It_was_ what I wanted," he replied. "And I assure you, we will pick back up later sometime when your pregnancy isn't controlling your emotions."

"Yes, sir," she said, beaming up at him gratefully. "If that will please you."

Alucard looked down at her curiously, obviously trying to interpret the way she was acting. It was certainly unlike the little Draculina to be so... obedient. It was easy for him to see that this was some abnormal side effect of the pregnancy, though having never fathered a child before, he only knew what he had been told, and 'unfailing servitude' was not among the symptoms he had been expecting.

-

"You wished to see me, my Lord?"

Alucard pulled his mind from its meditation and redirected it to the woman in front of him. "Danuta," he said with a silky smile, rising from his throne and walking towards her, as if welcoming her inside. He was pleased to see how uneasy she was around him, the way she nervously fidgeted with her small hands, her eyes fixated on the smooth, marble floor. Alucard looked her up and down briefly, marveling at the likeness she held to Seras. The two could have been sisters if he had not known better.

"I seem to be having a slight dilema," he informed her, finally halting a few feet from her. "Concerning Seras." The look of dawning on her face was most amusing to watch.

"Is she alright?" Danuta asked quickly.

"Yes, she is as well as is expected," he replied, now slowly circling her, gazing at nothing in particular. "It seems she is exhibiting some unexpected traits in her pregnancy, ones I have not heard of before. I had hoped you would be able to shed some light on the subject."

"Forgive me, my lord, but this is my first pregnancy," Danuta said, obviously a little embarrassed that she could not be of more assistance. "There are other, far more experienced women than I who could-"

"No," Alucard interrupted firmly. "I selected you for a reason. You and Seras are... friendly, I believe?"

Danuta nodded nervously, causing Alucard to smirk.

"Well, that is why I have selected you," he continued. "I believe you may know more about her than the other women, and as I have never heard of her symptoms before, I believe they may be personal."

"Every pregnancy is personal," Danuta confirmed. "They are related to the woman's age, experience, bloodline, intelligence and emotional standing."

"Emotional standing?" Alucard repeated, indicating that he wanted her to elaborate.

"Well, yes," Danuta said nervously. "Pregnancy can send a woman's emotions into overdrive, particularly the ones she keeps hidden. It sort of... brings out her true self. Her hidden desires. Some men refer to such instances as 'mood swings'."

Alucard pondered this new information for a moment. Had her behavior been a simple mood swing? That didn't seem to line up. After all, when had she ever given any hint that she had a hidden desire to serve him? She was obstinate and stubborn.

"Um, forgive me, my lord," Danuta began boldly, "but perhaps if you explained to me the situation, I could be more specific."

Alucard considered. "Very well," he said after a few minutes of careful thought. "Twice today during our interactions, she has begun acting very out of character, calling me 'master' and doing what she thinks will please me. Normally, she is very stubborn and resistant."

Danuta stared at him. From the thoughtful look in her eyes, he could easily identify that she had an idea of what was happening. The young blond clear he throat and said, "How much do you know of her feelings towards you?"

"Very little," he replied matter-of-factly.

"As I assumed," Danuta said with a nod. "For the sake of explaining her actions, I will explain her feelings to you. Getting right to the point, you are the center of her world. Her innermost desires concern you, and being right for you. She aspires to be someone you can care for in return, which may have prompted her actions today. I believe, based off of something she said yesterday, that she misses her relationship with you as a purely 'master-servant' situation. She doesn't consider herself your equal, and dislikes that you expect her to be. In short, she doesn't want to _be_ a powerful nosferatu. She just wants to serve you as your fledgling, and to be loved as your fledgling, with no complications."

"She was nev-!" Alucard began angrily when Danuta had finished speaking, but then realized who he was talking to. "You are dismissed," he said quietly.

"Thank you, my lord," she said swiftly before hurrying from the room, leaving Alucard to brood in silence.

-

And, that's it for now! It seems the mood-swings have begun, and they aren't what we/Seras/Alucard/anyone expected. It was sort of a last minute decision, but never fear. There are still plenty of opportunities for Alucard to get hit in the head by a hormonal draculina. D Review please!


	10. Fragments of the Soul

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews guys! Some of them were really fun to read. I tried to address them all (subtly) within this next chappie, which I really shouldn't have written, given that I have two exams tomorrow. Oh, well! XD R&R!

-

"Alucard?" Seras said tentatively, glancing over his shoulder. He was staring out the window at the first signs of sunrise, obviously deep in thought. "Alucard?" she repeated. When he still did not respond, she huffed and decided it was better not to bother him if he was going to be so obstinate.

Her eyes shifted sideways to the large black coffin. Should she go to sleep? She was certainly tired after training all day with the fledglings... and Alucard had insisted that she continue training them tomorrow.

_I should rest,_ she told herself firmly, forcing her legs to walk towards the coffin. Then she glanced back at Alucard, his long thin form silhouetted elegantly against the pink sky, and felt a pang of angst echo in her gut. He actually seemed... bothered by something. Was it her? Was that why he'd been ignoring her for the last few hours?

_What could I have possibly done this time?_ she wondered at herself, trying to tear her eyes away from her mate. She had obeyed all his orders and even trained the obnoxious fledglings without complaint. Was he mad about what happened with Radu? She had openly and deliberately gone against his will... but she had apologized and he had assured her she was not in trouble. But perhaps he actually believed she had feelings for Radu. She was attatched to the vampire, but not in the same way. More than anything she felt somewhat grateful to him for helping her rescue the pup all those months ago and then for bringing her back to Castle Draculae. Alucard insisted that his brother's motives were impure, but a good deed was a good deed... wasn't it?

Seras frowned and walked towards him. "Alucard, did I do something wrong?" she asked, stopping right behind him.

He did not reply. That wasn't a good sign.

She felt her insides twist uneasily as she looked at him, trying to decide the best course of action. Part of her wanted to go curl up in the bottom of the coffin, but another part of her wanted to go to him. Unfortunately, the second part won.

She took a careful step towards him, slowly sliding her hands around his waist so that she was tight against his back. She rested her head there, determined to stay up with him until he was no longer worried about whatever it was that was bothering him.

"Seras..."

"Yes, Alucard?" she asked, looking up in surprise at the sound of his voice. She thought for a moment that his lips moved upwards in a smile.

"...go to sleep," he said at last.

"Why?" she replied, trying to shift her body sideways so that she could catch a better glimpse of his face.

"Because you need sleep."

"I can't sleep if I think you're mad at me," she said firmly.

He sighed and rotated, looking down at her. "I'm not mad at you," he replied. "Now go to sleep."

She let her hands drop to her sides in defeat and began to walk towards the coffin, but he caught her around the waist and brought her back to him, placing his free hand beneath her chin and tilting it upwards.

"Distrust does not make for a pleasant relationship," he told her softly.

"You mean when it's directed at you," she replied angrily. "But if it's directed at me, there's no problem whatsoever, right?"

"Very good," he commended her.

She groaned in frustration. "You're impossible."

"No, I am older, more experienced and more intelligent than you," he replied. "Trust me to do what is right for you."

"And why do you get to decide what is right?" she asked. "Why do you always get to decide everything about me?" She felt something inside her snap and she was suddenly angrier than she had ever been before. "You think you know everything about me," she fumed, "but you know nothing whatsoever. You drive me insane! I'd kill you if I thought I could do it! I hate you! You're a bastard and I hate everything about you!"

She then punched him, not hard enough to knock him off his feet, but certainly enough to make him let go of her. He watched her, one eyebrow raised, as she continued, "You never tell me anything! You don't trust me at all! You're too arrogant to think twice about what I want, but when you want it, it has to be yours?! It's no wonder that I left! I hate living with you! I hate your stupid vampire ideals, and the way you force me to conform to something that I'm not ready to be a part of! Everybody else understands! They say, 'when you're ready'. But not you! Never you! You want what you want when you want it! You're so selfish! If you weren't so powerful, do you think anyone would ever stay with you? They're all just scared of you! You're such a-!"

She froze, her nostrils flaring as the scent of blood filled the air. Her eyes immediately spotted the smooth, red trickle gushing down the side of Alucard's neck as he scraped a fingernail along it. Without a second thought, she went to him, licking the excess blood off his skin before sinking her fangs in over the wound. She sucked hungrily, encouraged by the way Alucard put an arm around her to hold her there. When she had finished, she detached her fangs and leaned into him, having completely forgotten her rage.

"Feel better?" he asked in his icy smooth voice.

"Much," she said, dipping her hands beneath his shirt so that they could feel his cold, marble-like skin. The effects of the feeding were no different from any other time, and she could feel the desire for contact burning in her body.

"Perhaps I'll come to bed with you after all," he decided, scooping her up into his arms.

"Mmhmm," she agreed, putting her arms around his neck as she leaned closer to him. "I would like that."

"I had a feeling you might," he smirked. He carried his tiny bride to the coffin and set her down in it before sliding in beside her.

The thick curtains of the window seemed to pull themselves shut by magic, plunging the room into darkness.

-

"Um, my lord? You called for me...? Again..."

Danuta slid into the throne room, yawning slightly. True, it was the middle of the day, but Alucard needed to ensure that Seras would not interrupt him while they spoke.

"Did Seras have another mood swing?" Danuta asked, approaching him with caution.

"Yes," Alucard replied.

"But it was different from before?" she prompted

"Significantly. She grew very angry and began attempting to insult me in any way she knew how."

"That's fairly common," Danuta assured him.

"Perhaps," Alucard murmured. "But her reasons were not as illogical as I had expected. She singled out sensitive points between us and attacked them vigorously, not only saying that she hated me but giving the reasons behind her hatred."

"And it surprises you that she hates you?" Danuta asked, trying to understand what he was so confused about. Alucard's eyes snapped to hers, narrowed.

"Then you believe she really_ does_ hate me." He almost sounded accusing.

"Well, she must," Danuta said carefully. "Or at least, a part of her must. That emotion wouldn't have come out otherwise. Just as a part of her wants nothing more than to please you, a part of her despises everything about you, even the other emotions she exhibits towards you."

"And do all women secretly despise their mates?"

"Well, no," Danuta admitted, "but you have to remember that she doesn't actually hate you. A part of her does, but it's a small enough part that it doesn't stop her from wanting to be with you. In short, her affection for you overwhelms her dislike of you."

"But the dislike is still there."

"Perhaps I can draw an analogy," Danuta suggested thoughtfully. "You are to Seras like God is to humans. Humans love and hate their God; they despise that they can't understand him, and that he has power over them, but at the same time they take comfort in knowing he cares for them, and that they are never alone. You control Seras' future, whether it is by your will or hers, and part of her loves that while another part hates it with a passion."

"Women have too many emotions," Alucard complained.

Danuta couldn't help smiling. "You remind me of a teenager in love," she said.

He glared. "You are, of course, not to share these conversations with anyone, is that understood?"

"Perfectly," she replied.

"Then you may go."

-

"Alucard?" Seras opened her eyes blearily as he settled himself beside her. "Where did you go?"

"If you recall, you interrupted my thoughts earlier," he told her. "I went for a walk."

"Liar," she said, yawning.

"What was that we were saying about trust?" he asked, smirking at her reply.

"You said 'trust me to do what is right for you'," Seras reminded him. "And I do. But trust you to tell the truth? Never in a million years."

"I'm hurt," he said, still grinning in the dark. "But if you trust me to do what is right for you, and I lied to you, then wasn't lying right?"

Seras glared at first, but couldn't help relaxing into a smile and shifting a little closer to him. "Maybe," she whispered, placing her head on his chest. "Is it something to do with my mood swings? Is that what's been bothering you? Or is it to do with the draconists?"

"I told you not to worry."

"Fine! I won't. So will you tell me something for my own benefit?"

"And what would that be?" he asked.

"I want to know what's going on," she said firmly. "With the draconists, I mean. What is this war that everyone keeps talking about? Why am I training fledglings? Who are we fighting against? Why are we fighting at all? What-"

"That's more than one thing, Seras," he pointed out.

"No, it's not," she replied. "My request was to know what's going on. I elaborated so that even _you_couldn't get confused."

"Insulting people is not a good way to get answers," he said indifferently.

"Alucard!" she protested. "Please tell me!"

"It's the business of the draconists."

"All the other vampiresses know!" Seras retorted. "You can't honestly think that all the other males here are as secretive as you! They tell their wives things... can't you just tell me this?"

"Calm down, I was planning to."

"Oh," she said, blushing slightly.

"This war, Seras, will be a last dance between the dead and the living, the creatures of the night against the humans."

"W-," Seras stuttered. "W-why?! They're just humans! We've coexisted peacefully for years!"

"Peacefully, you say?" Alucard questioned dangerously. "And when the heirs of Hellsing sent me to destroy the undead, was that a gesture of peace? Regardless, we are not the initiators in this war."

"W-who is then?"

"Think very hard, Seras," he replied.

"N-not Hellsing?!" Seras exclaimed.

"Hellsing has been shut down."

"Th-then..." she racked her brains, searching for the answer.

Alucard sighed and said, "The first time I offered you my blood, who was it that was trying to kill you?"

"Anderson," she said automatically. And then, a light clicked in her head. "Iscariot?" she gasped.

"Precisely."

"But they can't possibly have a force powerful enough to stand against an army of vampires, can they?"

"Iscariot has been expanding its territory throughout Europe," he replied. "Now, with Hellsing gone, England has fallen under its reign as well. They have implemented their members into seats of power, places of political prestige and control throughout the various nations."

"But..." Seras protested. "How do you know all this?"

"This war was long in motion before Integra's death. Do not feel insulted that we did not share with you more than you needed to know. Hellsing was to have no part in the war. Though perhaps, war is not the correct term for it. It is more of a crusade to wipe out the vampiric clans. We, on the other hand, have plans to destroy them and take back what is ours. We were once kings and princes, and now we hide in the shadows of obscurity."

"That's awful," Seras said shaking her head.

"Is it?" he asked, glancing at her.

"War is awful," she replied.

"On the contrary, I find it to be quite pleasurable, as do they. I had thought that you were over your fear of blood."

"It's not the blood I'm talking about," she said coldly. "Even_ I _can find... enjoyment... in the haze of a brutal battle, with the smell of blood in the air mingling with the cries for mercy, the feel of flesh between my fingers, the warmth of plunging into a living body again and again..."

She trailed off, realizing that Alucard was staring at her with an interested look of amusement. Then she realized what she had been saying and shook her head vigorously, trying to clear it of bloodlust.

"Anyway," she said quickly. "What I was saying is that war has massive impacts on the structures of nations, beyond life and death."

"That's the point, isn't it?" Alucard said into her ear. She shivered, feeling his arm on her waist. "War is the but the catalyst for change and improvement. Where would humans be without it? Where would we be without it? When Millenium struck, should we have retreated to our dungeons to hide? They called out to us and we answered. Now Iscariot is calling. They will come before our gates and demand our lives, or demand that we take theirs in return. And what will you do? Submit? Or fight?"

"I will do as my master does," she replied. "As I always have."

"Not this time," Alucard replied. "You will stay in the castle with the other vampiresses."

"Wha-? But Alucard!" she protested. "I can fight! You know I can!"

"You're pregnant," he said flatly. "But don't worry. I'll bring back a few for you to play with."

"How thoughtful," she said sarcastically, a smile on her lips.

"Forgive me for wanting to keep the child safe."

"Can you still read my mind?" she asked abruptly.

"It comes and goes," he replied. "When you first returned, I could read it very easily. I can read it now as well, which is why I'm going to say 'no, it won't work' before you even have the chance to ask."

"Why not?" she said curiously.

"I can protect you more easily than I can the child. Should you be wounded, I can feed you my blood to revive you and take you somewhere safe. If the child is wounded, however, it will be beyond my control."

She did even try to find a way around this. _If my child is destroyed..._

"...I will give you another," Alucard said simply. "But you will still feel grief and guilt for the one lost."

"And what will you feel?" she asked slyly.

"Annoyance. That I put up with your mood swings for nothing."

"So you admit that's what's been bothering you!" she said quickly.

"Go to sleep, Seras."

"Hang on," she replied. "I have more questions about the war."

"I told you everything you need to know," he said.

"No, you didn't. Like, why are the werewolves involved?"

Alucard sighed and flipped onto his side so that he could get a better look at her. "Do you think Iscariot will stop at just vampires? Werewolves are monsters as well. I have merely extended an invitation to join us. They may accept or fight alone; it is not my concern."

"Have you extended an invitation to anyone else?"

"The draconists have been moving in turn across Europe to invite any and every clan or pack that may wish to join us."

"All of Europe?" Seras said in awe.

"There are not so many, with Millenium destroyed," Alucard said with a slight shrug.

"But where will they all stay?"

Alucard chuckled. "My castle is larger than you think. It goes deep into the mountains, miles and miles of underground tunnels and rooms, enough to fit thousands."

"Really?"

"Yes, and where do you think you're going?"

"To explore," she told him. "I've only seen the upper levels."

"It's the middle of the day," he retorted, grabbing her by the waist and holding her against him.

"Oh, so you're allowed to 'go for a walk' but I'm not?"

"You are without a doubt the most stubborn fledgling I have ever encountered."

"And you're the most negligent master I've ever encountered," she returned with a smile. "You never used to care if I wandered around during the day."

"I never used to share a coffin with you," he said flatly. "I don't need you waking me every time you develop a desire to go for noontime stroll."

"You never sleep anyways," she complained. "And last time I checked, I was soundly sleeping until you showed up."

"Last time _I _checked, this was _my_coffin, in _my_ room, in _my_ castle."

"Well, if you don't want to share, then I won't share either," she huffed, rolling over.

"Share what?" he asked cruelly. "You have nothing to give that I don't already have."

"Don't I?" she asked, detaching his arm from her waist. She slid to the far side of the coffin.

"And when you need to feed?" he asked, finally interpreting her angle.

"I'll restrict my feeding to a couple of times a week," she replied. "And that's _all_ you'll get. None of this, 'whenever I do something that turns you on' stuff."

He chuckled darkly and pulled her back against him, saying in her ear, "What's mine is yours. Provided you don't go for too many day walks."

"It sounds like a reasonable compromise," she agreed, turning to face him. "That's probably an unfamiliar word to you, isn't it, Alucard? _Compromise._"

"I'm willing to concede in this one instance," he said with a smirk.

"Hmm, who'd have guessed?" she asked, leaning her face into his chest.

"You're more manipulative than I give you credit for," he told her.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

Alucard grinned. "Whether you like it or not, you _will_ be a true nosferatu one day."

"What has that got to do with anything?" she asked. "Besides, I thought I already _was_ a true nosferatu."

"We midians are measured by more than the blood we have consumed," he corrected her. "You have a long way to go before your development ceases."

"Well, that's reassuring," Seras said thoughtfully. "I suppose it would be a problem if I was sired by _the_ Vlad III Draculae, and I was only a little more powerful than a fledgling."

"And do you wish you were still a fledgling?" Alucard asked, his face an emotionless mask.

"No, of course not," she replied in confusion. "That's like asking me if I wish I was still a child. I mean, being your fledgling was better in some ways, because it was so much easier, so I guess sometimes when I'm feeling dissatisfied with the way things are, for a moment I wish I could go back to the 'easy life'."

"I see." He recalled how Danuta had stressed that even though Seras felt hatred towards him, it was only a small part of her. Perhaps this emotion was the same, just a tiny, unrealized inner wish brought out by her raging hormones. He relaxed a little, laughing at himself for acting so much like a human. Had he really allowed himself to get so worked up over something as foolish as temper tantrum?

"What's so funny?" Seras asked, her cheeks glowing. She obviously thought he was laughing at her 'heart-felt' explanation of her feelings. Well, why not entertain that delusion? He had not intention of allowing her to know just how much stress she had unwittingly put on him in the last twelve hours. Certainly the last thing he needed was for her to know exactly _how much_ power she had over him.

"You still think like a human," he said smoothly, pressing her against his side. "Your innocent desires to revert to childhood when things are difficult. A vampire wants only to move forward, to hurtle into a future of power and knowledge, away from everything that held him back in life as a human."

"But I never wanted to get away from my humanity," she confessed. "I was just scared to die."

"Scared to die? Or determined to live? There is quite a difference between the two Seras, and let me assure you, had you merely been 'scared to die' you would not be lying here beside me as my queen. You chose this life as much as any of us, though perhaps for different reasons. And when you are ready, you will excel beyond every vampire here."

He felt her sliding her hands around his waist. "I _definitely_ like you better as a mate than a master," she informed him. "You're more patient and complimentary."

"I have to be. You are free to leave me at any time, and I would much rather that you stay. To that end, I have to appeal to you as a man does to a woman."

Seras sighed. "You appealed to me when you were my master, too."

"Trust me, Seras, I am _very_ aware of that. You had some rather interesting dreams as you grew older... you often thought of them as nightmares, but I found them enjoyable."

Seras resisted the urge to blush and laughed lightly. "Yes, the uncensored dreams of a virgin vampire. I'm sure they were very amusing."

"Amusing? Or enticing?" he mused. "It certainly put the thought of going against Integra's orders into my head. And she was quite insistent that I not touch you in a sexual manor. Perhaps Van Hellsing had recorded that we are able to breed."

"Were you ever attracted to Integra?" she asked in spite of herself.

"Yes," he replied, his voice very low.

"Why did you never make a move?" Seras asked, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice. "I always felt as though she was attracted to you as well."

"There was nothing to be gained from it," he said indifferently. "And much to lose. It would have been lust, momentary satisfaction, nothing more. She never had any desire to be one of us. It would have led to nothing. And she would have been unhappy in the end."

"Oh," Seras said softly, taking a deep,unneeded breath. "But you did care for her, didn't you?"

"In different circumstances, if we were different people, it might have been a possibility. Somewhat like you and that mercenary. Your relationship was doomed from the start. Unfortunately, you were the only one to recognize it. In the case of Integra and myself, we were both well aware of why there would never be an _us_. Does it mean you can't go on? Does it bother you to share my bed knowing the man you loved died at your feet in battle?"

"But I cried for him," Seras whispered. "When Integra died, we just left her body there in the wreckage."

"I had a choice, Seras. I could hold onto a corpse that resembled a woman I once cared for, or I could save my fledgling. Even you must realize that the moment the seals were broken, the queen would have soldiers after us, to kill us. I chose to keep you alive instead of mourning."

"If I die, what will you do?"

"You won't die. Not as long as I'm living."

"But if I do?"

He did not reply.

-

So, that was chapter 10! Trying to think what comes next... clans and packs start arriving, which should cause some fun, particularly if we run into familiar faces (hint, hint). Possibly some Seras-Alucard training time, more violent mood swings (what emotion will come out next? Servitude, hatred????) and as always, tons of Hellsing fun! Sorry, if this chapter was a little slow... I know it was mostly conversation, but hey! Who doesn't love pillow talk? Anyway, review!


	11. Strength and Strategy

Ai-ai-ai... how long has it been since I updated? My sincerest apologies. Exam week is finally over! So I have a month long christmas break in which to rot your minds with pointless drabbles about my obsessions with vampires! Yay! Anyway, this chapter is a little longer than usual, and hopefully worth the wait. There's an interesting surprise towards the end. Enjoy! R&R!

-

When Seras awoke, she was not surprised to find herself alone in the coffin. Her internal clock told her that it was already two hours into the night.

_I'm surprised Alucard didn't wake me up, _she thought as she stretched lazily, yawning. She then phased out of the coffin and looked around blearily.

"Good evening," Alucard said. He was sitting at the desk, his eyes on her as she walked towards him. She found herself blushing under his stare; she still was not entirely used to being naked in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Seras asked, try to stifle a yawn and keep herself covered at the same time.

"Am I not allowed to work in my own quarters?" he asked, smirking and leaning back in his chair.

"Work?" Seras repeated, glancing at the desk. Sure enough, several maps, scrolls and papers were sprawled across the wooden surface, and Alucard was idly twirling a pen between his fingers. The sight looked somehow comical to her.

"Something amusing you?" Alucard asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Paperwork doesn't suit you," she replied, moving behind him so that she could peer over his shoulder. "What is all this?"

"This is the valley," he said, showing her the map he was presently looking at.

"And what are those little x's?"

"Possible placement for the refugee camps."

"And what's this line?"

"A temporary wall."

"And what about-?"

"Seras," Alucard interrupted. "The purpose of work is to do it."

"Am I distracting you?" she asked innocently, leaning forward so her breasts pressed against his back.

"Not at all," Alucard assured her, grinning evilly. He began making more markings on the map while Seras frowned in disappointment. She pressed herself closer to him, leaning her face into the crook of his neck and smiling against his icy skin. Curious, she pushed her tongue from between her teeth and brushed it against the taught flesh, digging her fangs into the muscle just enough to create two tiny pinpoints of blood.

"Hey, Alucard," she suddenly wondered. "Do masters always taste particularly good to their fledglings?"

"No," he replied. "The taste of another vampire's blood is determined by the level of attraction to that vampire."

"That makes sense," she murmured, licking up the small amount of blood hungrily. "Your blood is the best I've ever tasted."

She heard him chuckle darkly. "And are you hungry, Seras?" he asked silkily.

"I'm_always_ hungry when I wake up," she replied, running her tongue across her fangs. She glared at the pen in his hands. "Does that have to be done right now?"

"Regrettably, yes," Alucard replied. "The wolves have already begun to arrive."

She stiffened in alarm. "Wha- really? Have...?"

"No, they're not here yet, if they are even coming."

She frowned. "Of course they're coming. Fane is intelligent and... I'm just certain they are coming."

Alucard did not reply, and continued making adjustments to his map of the valley. It was strange to see him concentrating so hard on something- she was too used to him being nothing more than a warrior. Now, he was the general. And he seemed to know what he was doing.

"Were you in a lot of wars before Hellsing captured you?" she asked curiously.

"When I was a human," he replied. "You obviously know very little about Romanian history."

"Should I?" she asked. "I'm English after all."

"And now you are Romanian. Perhaps you should investigate your new nation's background rather than distracting me while I'm working."

"You said I wasn't distracting you," Seras pointed out, smirking.

"You are," he replied flatly.

"You could have been honest to begin with. Then I wouldn't have had to deliberately pester you."

Alucard looked briefly at her, an eyebrow raised, then grinned maliciously. "You are _certainly_ more manipulative than I give you credit for."

"I still can't decide if that's a compliment," she complained.

"It is... interesting."

"Hmmpf," she huffed, crossing to the wardrobe and pulling out an outfit. "When should I continue training the fledglings?" she asked indifferently.

"As soon as you are ready," he replied. "You'll have to fetch them. They are currently retained in their rooms on the third floor, awaiting your orders."

"Joy," she grumbled, pulling on her pants.

Alucard smirked, watching her dress with mild interest. "You will, once again, find everything you need already in the valley."

"Thank you," she told him sarcastically as she left the room.

She quickly phased her way to the third floor, surveying the long empty hall before her. She had two choices: she could either go through each room, searching for the fledglings, or she could...

"All fledglings out here now!" she bellowed down the hall. "Last fledgling to turn up gets used for target practice!"

The effect was instantaneous. There was a scuffling of feet, muffled shouts, and then a rush of cool air as fifty seven fledglings piled into the narrow hall.

She grinned. "Good evening, children."

Some of the older men looked particularly offended by this statement, but that only made her grin more.

"You all seem well-rested, though not particularly well fed... not that it matters. There will be more than enough time to feed once the war begins and your bloodlust kicks in. For now, we have a date with our rifles, so if you'll follow me..."

She led them down to the valley, taking paths that did not involve any phasing so that they could jog along behind her with ease. When they reached the ground, her eyes instantly met with a dilema. Between them and their targets was a large camp filled with people (most likely werewolves). She frowned, trying to decide what the best course of action would be.

"Alright," she said to the fledglings. "We're going to try something new today. I want to see your how your skills have developed in areas beyond target practice. So what I'm going to do is pit you against each other in two armies, and see who lasts the longest."

"You want us to shoot each other?" one of the fledglings asked skeptically. A few of the others seemed to shrink at his words.

Seras rolled her eyes and replied, "They're just ordinary bullets. Any injury you sustain will quickly heal. Of course, you will still feel pain. That should be motivation to do your best, right? Losing team has to run a hundred laps around the valley. Vampire or not, that will be a sufficient workout. A bullet wound marks you as 'dead,' and I _will_ know if you get shot, so don't try to cheat. You'll have to be concentrating hard to succeed in this exercise, and your aim must be precise. But hopefully this will show that in combat, your target won't be standing still waiting for you to shoot them. They have as much motivation as you do to survive and triumph, even if they are human."

"How can a human take down a vampire, anyway?" a fledgling, probably about twenty, asked with a frown. "It's hardly a fair fight."

"We're not fighting against ordinary humans," Seras returned sharply. "We are fighting against trained specialists, people who have devoted their lives to cleansing the earth of the unholy. That means you. And if you think trained vampire hunters are a joke, why don't you go tell one of the older vampires your theory. They are the thing most lethal to you, more dangerous than any amount of sun or silver."

A few of the fledglings were still rolling their eyes, but the rest seemed convinvced. Seras shrugged. If they didn't want to believe her, that was their choice. When the war began, those who had prepared would survive. And those who hadn't... well, what were a few fledglings in the grand scheme of things?

Seras felt her stomach clench at the thought. How many of those before her would still be there after the war? Further more, what would happen to the survivors? Would Alucard allow them to stay? She contemplated their dilema and wondered what lies they had been told to convince them to fight, or had their sires merely been told to take advantage of the master-slave bond between them?

She shook her head, deciding it was better not to think about it. There were too many 'ifs'.

"Alright, we're going to move into the trees to give you more space to be creative," she told them after a pause. She then began distributing rifles and splitting them into two teams even as she did so. When they were completely ready, with spare amo and everything, she led them into the trees.

"I will be the border," she said. "I will give you a ten minute head start before you are allowed to cross the border to prepare yourself. I recommend that you elect a general amongst yourselves and devise a battle scheme. Time starts now."

The fledglings blinked in surprise and quickly took off in opposite directions of each other. Seras' mental clock was already ticking. She waited patiently for them to complete their plans, humming lightly to herself as she swayed back and forth on the balls of her feet.

At last, she called out, "The battle as begun!"

To her dismay, her call was answered with a loud cheer and about twenty or so fledglings charged from the trees and ran onto enemy lines, nearly knocking her over. She quickly retreated to a high branch of a nearby tree and watched the battle unfold with disapproval.

_A head on attack? _she thought wondrously. _That's stupid even for a human._

Already gunshots were ringing out and the fledglings who had charged through the woods were dropping like flies. She watched as their enemy was drawn out of hiding, 'killing' the few fledglings that were left and then cheering. Was the battle really over?

Seras began to count the injured bodies. There were nineteen that she could see. So where was the rest of the army? It seemed the victorious fledglings had not realized that their enemy was short in numbers. Suddenly, Seras felt her interest peaked. She felt a faint ripple of wind as something moved swiftly through the treetops.

The corner of her mouth began to tilt upward as gunshots filled the air once more, this time coming from 'nowhere'. The fledglings on the ground looked up in panic as they fell, the four fledglings in the trees, shooting them moving, shooting then moving. It gave the effect that the bullets were bursting out of thin air, and before long, every fledgling was 'dead' on the ground save the four that had been in the trees.

Seras smirked and applauded lightly, jumping down from her perch and summoning all the fledglings to her.

"Well done," she said at last. "Two strategies, one cautious, one extreme. And which succeeded in the end? Now the problem with the winning strategy is that not only is it important to win, it's important to win with as many survivors as possible. So while it is an effective method in dire situations, it can have many consequences. It may win the battle, but what of the war? Regardless, you did win today's exercise, so you will not have to participate in the punishment. Now, is there anyone who is having trouble healing?"

"Miss?"

She looked around at a fledgling who was supporting another who was coughing and spluttering, blood leaking from his mouth.

"Alright lay him down right here," she said, helping them settle him on the ground. "In future, if you can help it, try not to aim so close to the hearts of your fellow fledglings." She brought her wrist to her mouth and slit it, holding it over the wounded boys lips.

"Drink," she commanded.

At first he hesitated, keeping his mouth shut, but as the scent of the blood began to fill his nostrils, his lips parted, his tongue lap up the warm red liquid hungrily. She could feel the eyes of all the fledglings on her, and she wondered how many of them were currently experiencing blood lust. She herself was still very hungry, given that she had not eaten any dinner.

By and by, her wound began to seal; the boy as well was healing and was able to stand on his own. She got to her feet. "Winning team may go back to the castle. Remember your teamates, because you will be with the same faces from here on out. By tomorrow, you should come up with some sort of name for yourselves. I don't care if you want to be team alpha or team fluffy bunny rabbit. I just need something to call you by. The same goes for the losing team, though you will stay here with me until you have finished your punishment."

There was a lot of complaining and grumbling from the losing team, but none of them dared to go against what they thought was a much older and more experienced vampire. She could, however, listen in on their thoughts.

_Stupid bitch. I can't believe she's making us do this._

That seemed to be the general train of thought amongst the losing fledglings. She shrugged; she hadn't expected much else.

"Get going," she said. "You're not doing anything else until these laps are completed."

-

When the fledglings finished their work out, it was around midnight.

_I'll have to think of a more difficult work out next time, _she decided as she wandered the halls of Castle Draculae, her hands in her pockets, her eyes drifting across the walls and floor, taking it in. She had a faint desire to explore the lower levels of the castle, but could not seem to recall how to get down at the moment. She frowned, looking around.

_I must have missed the turn, _she concluded. _But how do I get back to the entrance hall?_

She tried retracing her steps, moving back down the hall. Then she came to a fork in the path. Had she come from the right or the left? She went left, though was unable to decide if that was the proper way since all the halls looked vaguely similar. She huffed, pausing for a moment at another junction and looking down one way, then the next. She shrugged and went left again. After all, she had nothing better to do than get lost, right?

As she walked down this next hall, something caught her attention. She could smell something unusually... delicious. She sniffed again, moving in the direction of the sweet aroma, wondering what it could be. Then she recognized it as she got a particularly strong whiff.

_A human?_ she thought curiously. She hadn't drank human blood in a while. What was a human doing in the castle? Alive, that was... and this human was certainly living. She could almost sense the heart beat, pulsing with warm blood.

Her stomach growled, her eyes lighting up. She still hadn't had anything to eat. Perhaps this human was a leftover, in which case, it wouldn't hurt if she had a bite, right?

The rational side of her brain that was screaming things like 'if it's alive, it's probably alive for a reason! You shouldn't touch it,' and 'you'll just throw the blood up anyway. Why bother?' was completely shut out by the voice that fueled her hunger. She was licking her lips hungrily as she began to dart towards the source of the smell, moving this way then that along the halls as if she had lived there her whole life.

Abruptly, she came to a halt, sensing something very different. The human was not alone. It was with... Alucard? Her hunger subsided as her curiosity came into play and she began to follow the sent more cautiously. It led her to a small, rather unnoticeable door from which she could hear voices. She leaned against the wood and listened closely.

"... just finished it. Would you care to inspect the bullets?"

"That's not necessary."

"Very well then. Shall I continue with the next batch?"

"If you wish. I won't need them until next week."

"I think, if it is Iscariot that we are dealing with, that it is better to be prepared, wouldn't you agree, Alucard?"

"Yes, I'd have to admit you're right. It seems the 'old age' you continuously complain about does little to dull your wits."

"Hmm, curious you should think so."

Seras swallowed, hardly daring to believe what she heard. She knew that voice. She would know that voice anywhere. And if there was any doubt, it was quickly wiped away by the fact that they were speaking in english.

She phased through the door (never stopping to think what the consequences might be), and felt her eyes widen as her suspicions were confirmed.

"Walter!" she said in disbelief.

Walter C. Dornez, his hair slicked back into a ponytail, his monacle glinting in the candlelight, jumped a little at her sudden entrance. He seemed equally surprised to see her as she was to see him. Alucard, of course, who was leaning against a nearby wall, had sensed her approach and had probably read her mind with amusement as she slowly comprehended the situation. He looked mildly bored.

"Miss Victoria," Walter said, clearing his throat and trying to suppress his alarm. "What a pleasant surprise."

Seras ran towards him and hugged him tightly, an enormous smile on her face. "I can't believe you're here!" she exclaimed. "It's wonderful to see you!"

"You as well," he assured her, patting her back gently.

"How long have you been here?" she asked curiously.

"About four days," he replied.

"What?!" Seras said in alarm. She pulled away and rounded on Alucard. "Why didn't you tell me Walter was here?!" she asked angrily.

He shrugged. "It did not concern you."

"You bastard!" she snapped.

He smirked, replying, "Is this another mood swing?"

"No, this is me saying the truth. You should have told me! Didn't you know I would want to see him?"

"Like I said, it did not concern you," Alucard replied. "I would have preferred if you had never realized he was here. You have other things to worry about."

"Training fledglings takes four hours at most," Seras complained. "I have so much free time."

"And Walter is not a plaything," Alucard said. "He has work to do as well."

"He- wait, what?" Seras stared at him in confusion, glancing back to Walter, and then taking in the room as well. It was a relatively comfortable bedchamber that had been converted into some sort of workshop. The fire place was full of hot coals and metal frames lay across a table beside shavings and other tools. She slowly began to understand why Walter was in Castle Draculae. "You forced him to make bullets and weapons for you?" she said, a little disgusted.

"Actually, Miss Victoria, I came quite willingly," Walter put in. "Iscariot has grown to dangerous proportions and threatens more than just the undead now."

"What do you mean?" Seras asked uneasily.

Walter adjusted his monocle and explained, "They have begun infiltrating the government in many different european nations, implanting themselves in positions of power and influence."

"And you would stand with vampires against vampire hunters?" Seras inquired skeptically.

"I served the Hellsing family for my entire life," Walter replied, stiffening. "Miss Integra is... is... gone, and it is therefore my place to decide what is right and wrong for myself. Given a choice between the enemy of my leader and the servant of my leader, what do you suppose I would choose, Miss Victoria? There are elements at work in this war that one as young as yourself cannot begin to comprehend. Besides, this seemed to benefit me most, did it not, Alucard?" he asked, smiling slightly.

"You always had a choice," Alucard replied with a smirk. They seemed to be sharing some unspoken joke.

Walter turned to Seras once more and said, "This war is as much against protestants as it is against unholy creatures. Iscariot places us on the same level, hell bound and worth destroying, though many cannot see it. Miss Integra did not side with monsters, but she stood behind the protestants with every fiber of her being. And that is where I stand as well. I will serve her in life and death, whether it be hers or mine, and if that means standing alongside midians and werewolves, then so be it."

"I-I see," Seras said, chewing her bottom lip.

Alucard chuckled, in his own way saying that he doubted whether she 'saw' anything at all. She shot a glare in his direction, but decided not to argue. What did Walter's motives matter? She was just happy to see him.

"I still think you should have told me," she told Alucard, folding her arms across her chest. "I came this close to eating him until I sensed your aura as well." She motioned with her fingers to show that she was inches from devouring the former butler.

Alucard seemed to find her statement quite amusing. "Are you still hungry?" he asked.

"Yes," she grumbled, looking at the ground.

"I should be able to feed you shortly," he assured her, grinning.

"Thank you," Seras said, feeling truly very grateful. She smiled earnestly at him.

"Your threat to feed once a week seems a bit beyond your reach," he pointed out.

"Like your threat not to share your coffin," Seras replied.

Alucard raised an eyebrow at her, as if reminding her that Walter was still in the room, now looking with interest from one vampire to the other. Seras felt her cheeks heating up, hoping that he had not determined the inappropriate meaning behind their banter. She cleared her throat nervously.

"I believe Walter has a surprise for you, Seras," Alucard said, noting that she herself was too embarrassed to continue speaking.

"Ah, yes," Walter said swiftly, moving to the bed. He bent forward gracefully, tugging out a large case from beneath. Seras bit down on her lip when the case flipped open, revealing a massive, gleaming weapon.

"My Harkonnen!" she said eagerly, rushing forward. Walter moved aside for her to obsess over the hulking cannon like a mother would obsess over a child. She was already tracing her fingers up and down the thick barrel of the gun, brushing against the trigger with anticipation. "Oh, wouldn't it be fun to scare the fledglings with this!" she said, a wicked smile flickering across her lips.

Alucard laughed softly. "I thought I put you in charge of them so that you could be more understanding and gentle with them."

"Oh, I won't shoot any of them," Seras said quickly, looking alarmed. "I just want to scare a few of them when they're thinking rude things about me. I would never _actually_ attack them."

"Though you would have them attack each other," he remarked lazily.

"You were watching us practice?" She glanced curiously at him.

"Only briefly. Remember, Seras, I could smell your blood a hundred miles away. When you slit your wrist to feed that boy, I thought you might have been seriously injured."

Seras blushed lightly and smiled at him, touched that he had been worried about her. He seemed not to like this reaction (probably because he liked to reflect a cold and cruel exterior to everyone, even her) and frowned accordingly.

Walter spoke up again, "Am I to understand that Miss Victoria was once again put in charge of training 'new recruits', so to speak?"

"Yes," Alucard said simply.

Walter chuckled politely. "I daresay we should have learned our lesson from having her train the Geese."

"She succeeded, didn't she?" Alucard asked pointedly.

"Yes, yes, of course she did in the end," Walter said, smiling serenely.

Seras glared at him. "The Geese were harder to train. They're human, after all. Their natural limits were an obstacle."

"As was your figure," Alucard added helpfully.

"I hate men!" Seras roared suddenly.

"There, there, Miss Victoria," Walter said gently, but not without amusement. "You mustn't judge our sex from the likes of Alucard. That wouldn't be very fair, would it?"

"Yeah, but he's the one I'm stuck with," she muttered.

"Only until you're ready to be free," Walter replied reassuringly.

"Oh, Alucard's not my master anymore," Seras said without thinking. Seconds later, she groaned mentally at her own stupidity. Alucard only seemed to find her slip of the tongue comical. Walter, of course, was confused.

"Miss Victoria, if you are unhappy here..." he said slowly.

"Seras has chosen of her own free will to remain with me," Alucard cut in. Seras felt him move closer to her, a shiver passing over her body. He continued, "Vampires mate for life."

Seras' face was glowing a brilliant shade of red as Alucard slid a hand around her waist.

"I see," Walter said smoothly. How could he be so calm? Seras glared from one to the other, both passive and unperturbed by the awkward situation. Just as long as Alucard didn't do something stupid like say...

"Seras is three months with child as well," Alucard added after a brief pause.

"My congratulations," Walter said, coughing slightly. At least _that_ seemed to make him uncomfortable.

"I'm going to kill you later," Seras said, looking angrily up at her mate.

"I'm counting on it," he replied, grinning smugly down at her. "Now let's leave Walter to his work. You're still hungry, aren't you?"

"I've lost my appetite," she growled.

"You were never a good liar," he said silkily. "Now be a good girl and don't throw a tantrum every time things don't go your way."

Seras sighed. "Fine, but this doesn't mean you're off the hook."

"I wouldn't dream of asking," he assured her, smirking.

"It was a pleasure to see you again, Miss- er, Lady Draculae," Walter added as they made their way to the door.

"Walter!" Seras gasped, horrified by the term he had used to describe her.

Alucard laughed darkly and dragged her out of the room before she could maul the elderly man before her, still smiling easily and waving a pleasant farewell.

And for quite a while, Walter could here shouts of 'bastard' and other obscene phrases until Alucard and his tiny mate were well out of earshot.

-

So be honest- how many of you actually expected Walter to show up? It may seem random to you, but I did it for a reason... okay, actually, I just did it because I really like Walter and I thought he need a place in the story. I hope I made his entrance convincing... if not, I apologize again for my hair-brained schemes. Anyway, check back for the next chapter soon (cuz I can actually update now) and review!


	12. Lady Draculae

I swear my chapters just keep getting longer... oh, well, I'm sure you guys aren't complaining, right? Unless of course you hate my stories, in which case I have to wonder what you're doing reading chapter twelve... but enough rambling. Enjoy the next chapter! R&R!

-

"Alucard, I can walk," Seras growled for what felt like the hundredth time. "This is embarrassing."

Alucard, who held Seras bridal style, smirked down at her. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you didn't want Walter to know we were mates."

"Obviously," she retorted, crossing her arms across her chest. "Why did you tell him?"

"Because I find this reaction very entertaining."

Seras groaned. "What _don't_ you find entertaining?"

"When it comes to you, very little. Perhaps some of your more human moments, but even those can be advantageous if used carefully."

"So if I were to start crying...?"

"No, I wouldn't put you down," he said simply.

Seras sighed. "Are my reactions really worth all this trouble?"

"Entirely," he assured her. "Though I would hardly consider carrying you to be troublesome. Even if I was still human, you would not seem to weigh very much."

"I didn't mean trouble for you," Seras said. "I meant trouble for me."

He laughed softly. "When did I ever give any indication that I cared if I was causing you a bit of angst or annoyance?"

"We've gone beyond the point of 'a bit'," Seras replied in frustration.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, causing her glare to deepen. He grinned at her reaction and said in a low, seductive voice, "Your anger is beautiful. Can you truly blame me for tormenting you?"

"Yes, I can and I do!"

"You shouldn't set yourself up if you don't like to be tormented," he said, as if it was somehow her fault that he liked to see her miserable.

"I don't try to..." Seras said quietly. "I just..."

"Speak without thinking?" Alucard prompted. "That is something that will pass with age. Though I will be disappointed to see it go..."

"I have no doubt that you will find many other faults to drive a stake into," Seras assured him sarcastically.

"Yes, you are fundamentally flawed, aren't you?" he said. Why was he saying it like it was an endearing character trait? She scowled at him.

"Why are we walking anyway? Wouldn't it be faster for you to just-"

"I'm enjoying our walk, aren't you?" he cut across, glancing down at her.

"I'd enjoy it more if I was actually walking," she replied.

"And would you enjoy it more if we were outside?"

"A moonlit stroll?" Seras asked doubtfully. "That sounds oddly romantic for you."

"Does it? You believe me incapable of romance?"

"Well, yes," Seras said truthfully.

A strong gust of air seemed to fill the hallway. Seras closed her eyes as the world reeled, her fingers closing around the cloth of Alucard's shirt. She felt his arms setting her down on the ground and she opened her eyes once again, taking a deep breath. Above and all around her was the deep blue sky, the stars glimmering alongside the moon. She blinked in confusion as she looked around.

"Alucard, where are we?" she whispered looking up at him.

"Why don't you look for yourself?" he suggested, flipping her around so that her back was to his front, his large hands on her shoulders.

And look she did, finally gathering her bearings and staring down at the scene below her. The Valley of Arefu was illuminated to her undead eyes, its dull sheen visible even from her distant viewpoint. She could see the forests that surrounded it, and beyond them, clusters of fallen stars where a city lay, the lights glittering innocently in the shadow of night. Stormy mountains loomed on the horizon as rivers carved their way between them.

Seras felt her breath catch; it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. She slowly realized that to see such a sight, she would have to be very high up, and, upon looking down, her worst suspicions were confirmed.

"Alucard..." she whispered, clinging to him for support.

They were standing atop the peak of one of the mountains surrounding Castle Dracula, sharp drops and unstable rocks surrounded them, threatening a false step.

"Afraid of heights, my dear?" he asked in amusement at her terrified expression.

"No, not particularly," she said quickly, remembering that she was a vampire, and even she if fell, she would sustain little damage. She released her tight hold on Alucard's shirt and took a few steps away from him towards the edge of their tiny plateau. "This... this is..." she stuttered, trying to find the right words to describe her feelings.

"Does it please you?" Alucard asked. "Or would you prefer to return indoors."

"No, no, it's stunning," she assured him, looking around with wonder. "I just don't understand why we're up here."

He chuckled mischievously as he approached her from behind, brushing his finger tips against her stomach. "I thought I would share something with you," he said in a low, husky voice, his lips close to her ear.

"Thank you," Seras said. "It's very beautiful."

"That is not what I want to share. I want to pass on some information to you that I am sure you will find valuable."

"And what information is that?" she asked, rotating in his grasp and resting her hands on his chest.

"Our son has a very strong aura," he said quietly.

"Our...son...?" Seras repeated blankly. "It... it's a boy?"

He nodded.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

"Since I returned. I realized you were pregnant instantly, of course."

"So why are you telling me now?" Seras inquired, a little confused.

"Because I deemed now to be the proper time," he said simply.

Her reaction, was entirely the opposite of what he had expected. He had been certain that she would be angry- in fact he had been counting on it. But to his great surprise, she reacted in a most alarming, though not displeasing way.

She kissed him, warmly and passionately, entangling her fingers in his dark, silky hair as his eyes burnt into her. His arms wound around her small frame, crushing her against him as he deepened the kiss. He found the situation to be abnormally pleasurable, perhaps because she had initiated it for a change. Before he became too involved, he drew back, staring down at her.

Seras found herself both frightened and intrigued by the smoldering look in his eyes. At any rate, it made her smile and she cocked her head to one side as she tried to determine what to make of it. It was certainly very familiar, though not an expression she had seen Alucard wear before. She tried to decide what emotions it was secretly expressing, and where on earth she had come into contact with it. And then it struck all at once, and her smile grew in a becoming, though mischievous way.

"Something is amusing you?" Alucard murmured, his lips inches from her own. His eyes continued to dance with some sort of fire as they moved across her face, lingering on the full, tempting curve of her lips.

"Your eyes," she said, sliding her hands up to his face and brushing them across his pale, striking features.

"My eyes...?" he repeated, moving his fingers along the ivory skin of her throat and collarbone.

"On occasion, they betray you," she confessed. "They are the one part of your face that surfaces above your carefully constructed mask. Do you know how you looked just now?"

"No," he murmured against her cheek.

Seras laughed a little as she said, "Like a groom in a wedding ceremony. Anxious, and full of passion. It's quite an attractive expression."

"And is our own union not something akin to that of a bride and groom?" he asked, clearly trying to draw attention away from his lapse in reserve.

"Hardly!" she exclaimed, surprised he had even suggested it.

"And what is so greatly different? A male and a female bound to each other until death by devotion and sexual relations; that is human marriage, isn't it?"

"Maybe when _you_ were a human," Seras scoffed. "If people marry in today's culture, they do it for one of two reasons: wealth, or love, neither of which are involved in our relationship."

"You still understand very little about our relationship," Alucard replied. He seemed slightly annoyed by her remarks.

"And I suppose you understand everything?" Seras said doubtfully, letting her hands fall to her side.

"I understand what you do not, to say the very least," he said confidently. "And that is quite a lot on its own."

Seras scowled. "And what is it that I don't understand?" she demanded.

"Too many things to list."

"Stop dodging the question, Alucard!"

Suddenly, she felt his lips on hers once again, and began to struggle against him. He was trying to distract her, like he always did when she broached on a subject that he found uncomfortable. She tried to push him away, but he held her as tightly as ever until she stopped struggling and waited for him to release her. When at last he did, her glare could have melted ice.

"You can't kiss me continuously so that I don't ask questions," she pointed out, her arms folding against her chest.

"It seemed effective this time," he reminded her, smirking.

"Let me assure you, it wasn't," Seras said coldly. She turned from him, trying to decide what the best way to get down was, stiffening when she felt his arms around her once again. "Alucard, let me go," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

"No," he replied. "You are mine and no one else's. If I wish to hold you, I will hold you."

"That's unfair!" she snapped, though she knew better than to struggle again against him. "It's always what _you_ want. And _that_ is why this relationship is nothing like a human's. I'm little more than a concubine, isn't that right? Is that why you bothered to turn me? Because you knew I'd be a whore?!"

"You are not a whore, Seras."

"No? And yet I never bothered to resist you, not once in my life, human_or _vampire. Even now, if you wanted to, you could take advantage of me and I would not stop you. So why don't you, Alucard? What other purpose do I have?"

"As tempting as it always is, Seras, I would rather resolve this misunderstanding first," he said calmly, keeping his hold on her. "Your purpose is to be my companion through these many years, and to bear children for me. Me and only me. You are not a whore. A whore gives herself to many men; you have given yourself only to me. Are you truly so ashamed to be my bride?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I am your bride, but you are not my groom. I am yours, but you are not mine. Our relationship is one sided entirely. Only a slut gives herself to such a situation."

Alucard sighed, and said, "You are not cheap, Seras. You were dearly bought by time and effort. And then in the end, you gave yourself to the man you believed yourself to be in love with. And now you are ashamed? You are ashamed that you bound yourself to one man when dozens had pursued you in the past?"

"Why did you turn me?" she asked suddenly.

Alucard hesitated.

"Was it because you found me attractive? Was it because my blood smelled delicious?" she demanded.

"No," he decided, staring down at her. "It is because you continued to fight, despite the hopelessness of your circumstances. There is a strength in you that I still cannot fully understand, a determination coupled with courage that I find irreversibly attractive, as much as I don't want to. And yes, your blood is delicious and you are very beautiful, but that is hardly my fault, is it?"

"And all this was enough for you to take me as your bride?

"Do you regret it so passionately?"

"No, and I hate myself for it."

He grinned. "You have too many contradicting emotions. What is it you want me to say? You are worried about something that is not an issue."

"Not an issue?" Seras asked, her stomach clenching painfully.

"It is not an issue. It seems your greatest qualm, though there are many, is that you doubt my devotion to you. Allow me to elaborate."

Seras felt something cold press against her neck. She looked down, and found a small silver charm dangling from a chain. She stared at it more closely and began to recognize the minuscule words on it as Alucard's own handwriting. In letters so tiny that only a vampire standing in close proximity could read them, it said:

_In spite of your fear, follow me into the darkness as far as you can._

"Yes, sir," she whispered, remembering when he had first said those words to her.

"I was not speaking lightly," Alucard said into her ear. "It was my way of inviting you into my world, a world I have struggled to share with no one, even my masters. And though you understood nothing of what I was saying to you, or perhaps believed me to be comforting you, you trusted me and answered so faithfully. I still want you in my world, as I always have. Understand only that I am unaccustomed to having a mate."

"Is the mighty Alucard admitting that he makes mistakes?" Seras asked in mock disbelief.

"I have never denied it."

"But you have never admitted it. You are stepping down off quite a pedestal here, Alucard."

"Yes, and it seems you are eager to take my place. But I won't have that, my little Draculina. I came down her so that we may, perhaps, begin to see eye to eye. That would give you pleasure, would it not?"

"More than you could ever know," she said, leaning into his chest, her eyes closed, her expression serene.

_Still so easily manipulated,_ Alucard thought, holding her against him. At the same time... it felt very..._right_... to hold her that way, to her have her happy and smiling in his arms, as though she had been made to fit there all along. He tightened his grip on her, understanding now what it was she wanted. She needed to be loved by an equal, not a master, at least until her emotions began to mature with age.

But what had all that talk been about whores? Had he truly made her feel so cheap? Perhaps he had taken too many liberties with her, given her young age, but that was something he could not and would not change. Her body was his as much as any other part of her, and he would not allow limitations to be placed on how he enjoyed himself with her.

The thought of it immediately stirred arousal in him. Seras was aware of their closeness as well, it seemed, for she looked up at him with a heavy blush on her cheeks, wondering if it would be too bold to ask that he feed her after she had yelled at him.

Alucard, as though he was reading her thoughts (and he probably was, she reminded herself) grinned with interest and swept his hair to one side of his throat, allowing her access to his blood. She smiled gratefully as he collected her into his arms, hoisting her up so that his neck was easily accessible. She drank hungrily, her hands undoing the buttons of his shirt as she did so.

And when she had eaten her fill, he laid her on the rock ground beneath them, and had his way with her beneath the moonlight. And there they lay for some time, their bare bodies intertwined, the cool air rushing around them as they stared silently up at the sky, each lost in their own musings. Seras was admiring the way Alucard had sacrificed his pride to make her more comfortable. Alucard was admiring how easy it was to get a woman into bed, even if that woman was as feisty as Seras.

He rolled over and kissed her lightly, as if to reassure her that what had just occurred between them was more than just carnal lust. The necklace he had given her still glittered at the base of her throat.

"It is no ring," he said at last, tracing it with his fingers, "but its meaning is the same. I would prefer if you did not take it off."

"I never planned to," she replied. "This is only the second gift you have given me, and I intend to treasure it."

"The second?" he asked curiously. "What was the first?"

Her fingers flitted across her bare stomach in response, and Alucard smirked.

"Then you will have many more gifts from me in this lifetime," he said, leaning his face into the crook of her neck. Seras could feel him grinning against the sensitive skin and in the end, could not help smiling herself. She snuggled closer to him, quite content to lay like that for the rest of the night.

Unfortunately, Alucard began to extract himself from her, his clothes reforming on his body as he did so. He moved to the edge of their rock perch and stared down, looking very annoyed by something.

"Alucard...?" Seras asked curiously, forcing herself up with her elbows.

He glanced at her, and instantly his eyes began to fill with the same fire she had seen earlier. He crossed to her and pulled her up into his arms.

"Werewolves," he said simply. "I have to go greet them. Go back to the room for now and I will find you shortly."

"Um, Alucard..." Seras said nervously, holding up a handful of shredded fabric that had once been part of her shirt.

He smirked, looking rather pleased with himself. "Perhaps it is time that I taught you how to regenerate clothes," he said, setting her down on her feet.

"Really?" Seras asked eagerly.

"It is a very simple process. Even _you_ should be able to master it quickly."

Seras shot a glare over her shoulder. "Just tell me what to do," she snapped.

"Tsk, tsk, that's no way to get what you want," Alucard scolded with his usual cruel amusement. "You should try asking nicely."

"_Please_, Alucard," Seras said sarcastically.

"I'm not convinced," Alucard told her wickedly.

Seras sighed and turned, pressing herself against him. "Please teach me?" she said in a small voice, her ruby eyes glittering up at him hopefully.

"Attractive, but not quite enough," Alucard criticized, grinning.

Seras scowled. "Why don't you just tell me what you want so that we can both get on with our lives?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Where's the fun in this?" Seras retaliated.

"You are overlooking it," he told her. "You are too focused on reaching the end of our little game to enjoy it. We are mates, not enemies."

"Don't you have to go greet the werewolves?" Seras asked pointedly.

"They can wait," Alucard assured her.

Seras could not help appearing puzzled. Was teasing her really so fun that he would put important matters on hold? The satisfied grin on his lips seemed to answer that. She rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you go greet the werewolves and then come back to torment me?" she suggested. "It's not right to make them wait just because I'm too stupid to figure out what you want."

"They can wait," Alucard said again, and he seemed to tower over her as he said it.

"If your certain..." she muttered with a shrug. "So how do I persuade you? Should I fight you for the answer? Or seduce you?"

"While they are both very appealing, I would rather not put the child in danger. I recommend the latter of the two."

"Very well, but I don't think you'll like it as much as you think," she warned him.

"And why is that?" he asked curiously.

"You'll just have to wait and see," she said, smiling innocently.

-

Seras so thoroughly won their game that Alucard was actually rendered speechless. Her plan was so simple, yet so effective that he had no choice but to cave into her demands. She simply seduced him to the point where he was ready to have her completely, and then refused to do more if he didn't teach her. And when Seras finally succeeded in regenerating her clothes, she found them ripped off her again so quickly that she wondered whether they had ever really been there.

"Alucard?" she said, still panting.

"Yes?" he asked, though he was not as out of breath as she was. His head was rested on her stomach, his body still between her legs.

"You should really go to the new pack now," she reminded him. "They've been waiting for a while."

"Hmm, but it was worth it," he replied, kissing her belly.

"I doubt _they _think so," she said, laughing. "Thank you though, for teaching me."

"My pleasure," he assured her, running his hands along the outside of her thighs. He slowly got off of her, pulling her up with him. The clothes reappeared on their bodies (Seras very proud that she could perform such a task), and Alucard bent down to kiss her once more. "Come down with me," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just come," he replied, putting an arm around her.

The wind rushed around her once again and then her feet met with cool earth. Already she was met with a familiar smell: sweet, and revolting at the same time. The scent of wolves and pups.

"Good evening and welcome to Castle Draculae," Alucard said in his deep baritone.

There were a few startled gasps and muffled curses at his words, followed by a general shushing until all was silent again. Seras blinked in surprise and turned to see the werewolf pack standing just feet from them, golden eyes glimmering with alarm.

Alucard continued, "I have come to welcome you personally to our humble abode... and to ensure you understand and obey the rules we have in place."

Seras was no longer listening to what he was saying; she had just realized something very unexpected.

"Seras?"

"Sandru!"

There was a low murmur of interest as one of the wolves darted from his pack and scooped the tiny vampiress into his arms, spinning her around with glee.

"It's so good to see you again!" she exclaimed, her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad to see you're alright," Sandru replied warmly. "I was a little worried about you coming back here with that vampire. He looked too interested in you for your own good."

"As do you," Alucard said coldly, though he made no effort to separate them.

Seras knew better than to try Alucard's patience when it came to someone she cared about. While she had no doubt that Sandru was bold enough to defy her former master, she knew there would be heavy consequences for him.

She quickly retreated, coming to a halt at Alucard's side and trying to appear indifferent. He shot her an amused, somewhat approving glance, before turning back to the pack. Seras quickly identified Fane among the crowd, watching as he stepped forward to speak with Alucard.

To her shock and dismay, he greeted her first and _then_ the king of the vampires.

"It_is_ a pleasure to see you again, Seras," he said. "And am I correct in assuming that you are Lord Draculae?" he asked Alucard.

"You are," Alucard replied, regarding him with mild interest. His eyes flickered from Seras to the mild-aged werewolf for a moment before he said, "Which brings me to my first point. I recommend for your own sake, that you take care in addressing any of the draconists you may encounter with proper titles and language. And even if that vampire does not _wish_ to be addressed correctly, I suggest you do it anyway."

Seras glared, finally catching Alucard's drift. "Fortunately," she cut in, "Many of the vampires in Castle Draculae are just commoners who may be addressed by their first names."

"Very true, _Lady Draculae,_" Alucard retorted. "The fledglings may be called by their first names."

Seras winced at the term, falling silent.

Alucard, once satisfied that she was not going to interrupt again, said, "The second rule I would like to share with you, is that you are to remain in the valley unless you are a pack leader with actual need of a draconist's assistance. The third is a rule not so much for you but for the vampires. Any of my kind that attempts to feed on a pup will face a penalty of immediate and painful death. Regardless of this law, fledglings are prone to lapses in control and I recommend that you do not leave your children alone in the dark. Though if a fledgling _does_ sneak away from his training, we'll know who to blame."

His eyes shifted sideways to Seras, who had suddenly become very nervous. It had never occurred to her that not only was it her duty to train the fledglings, it was imperative that she keep them away from the pups. She felt as though a weight had just been placed on her shoulders, especially since she had come to know many of the pups and would feel personally devastated if something happened to one of them.

"I will also make you aware," Alucard went on, "that fledglings will be training for several hours every night with firearms. Stay clear of them if you wish to avoid getting a bullet in your skull. It is, in general, unwise to wander around the valley once the sun has set."

_He's being oddly diplomatic,_ Seras observed. No threats, no taunts... just polite guidelines? That didn't sound like Alucard, though she supposed he wanted the support of the packs in the upcoming war. His appearance was frightening enough without his words being cruel as well.

"Alucard," she said softly. "May I stay behind?"

His piercing eyes rested on her earnest, hopeful expression. "Briefly," he replied. Then he dropped a hard kiss on her lips and vanished. Seras, blushing a deep read, locked eyes with Sandru.

"I guess this is going to take some explaining..."

-

I know, it was a pretty fluffy chapter... I guess I got carried away with myself. sighs happily Oh well! I hope you all enjoyed, and I apologize for my somewhat delayed updates! I hope I'll be able to update more regularly now! Review!


	13. Surviving Death

So, first off, I'd like to clarify something- this fic is OVA based, but I've only seen through ep. 3. Everything after that was subject to interpretation as far as I was concerned. Second of all, for anyone who's curious, I deliberately haven't allowed Seras to show signs of pregnancy. That'll come in the next few weeks though. I'd also like to apologize for the massive amount of fluffage... I just can't help myself sometimes. Even this chapter gets fluffy half-way through, but hopefully it's not too much (I'm relying on my readers to let me know when I'm going overboard). Anyway, enjoy the chapter! As always, sorry for the wait... I'm having a hard time slurring my way through these slow chapters before the war begins and things pick up. R&R!

-

Seras walked at Sandru's side in silence as the pack made its way to the campground. He kept shooting her sideways glances that disappeared instantly if she showed any sign of having noticed them. After a while, Seras' patience began to wear thin.

"Just say it already, Sandru!" she hissed.

"He's your mate, isn't he?" Sandru accused.

"Yes," Seras replied. "He is. And he's a good mate, too, contrary to what you may be thinking. He cares for me _and_ our child."

"And you probably believe all his nice words, don't you?" Sandru said angrily.

"The few he shares with me, yes," she said. "Believe me, Sandru, I know what I'm getting myself into. I know what he is. And I chose him anyway."

Sandru made a low noise of disapproval. Seras was blushing; nearly everyone in the pack was attempting to listen in on their conversation.

"Seras, just ignore my brother," Daciana piped up. "He's just too opinionated."

Seras smiled sadly. "I guess he's just trying to do what's best for me," she said, looking up at the large werewolf.

He grinned encouragingly and slung an arm over her shoulders. "So how's your training going?"

"You mean the fledglings?"

"No, I mean you," he replied.

Seras blushed at the memory of her most recent training session. "It helps to learn from some one who knows what he's doing," she replied, looking at the ground. "But we haven't had a lot of time to train. We're in the middle of a war, in case you forgot."

"Fine, how are the fledglings doing?"

"Well, I guess. Their aim is pretty good. But they complain a lot. I think Alu-Vlad just wants me to train them so that I'll have something to occupy me while he's working."

"There you go again!" Sandru said quickly.

"There I go... where?" Seras asked in confusion.

"You used to do it all the time when we were back at the village. Every time we talk about Draculae, you keep trying to call him something else."

"Oh, that," Seras said, shrugging. "It's nothing, really. I'm just trying to make sure you know who I'm talking about."

"What is it you keep calling him?" Sandru asked curiously.

"Alucard. It's just Dracula spelled backwards. It's the name he used when I first met him."

"I see."

"Sandru, don't be mad at me," Seras said in a low voice.

"I'm not mad," he insisted. "It's your choice, not mine."

"Sandru, I can read minds, or did you forget that?" she asked.

He forced a laugh. "I guess I did forget. It feels like you've been gone for ages, Ser."

"Yeah, I guess it does," she agreed. "But I don't really regret it. You realize I'm going to stay here even after the baby is born."

"I figured."

"You don't sound so disappointed," she stated, her eyes flickering up to his face.

"Well..." he muttered, flushing slightly. "I, erm, that is... I would prefer if you were happy. And even _I'm_ not enough of a fool to see that whatever it is between the two of you is very strong. You... um, even when you were in the village the first time, you never seemed... content."

"Sandru..." she said distantly. "You know I'm still going to come visit you, right?"

He actually seemed surprised, and blurted out, "Why?"

"So I can eat your pups," Seras replied sarcastically. Then she said seriously, "So I can see you of course! Why else? You think I'm not going to miss you? Alucard is... a good companion, but he is not everything. I can't talk to him about things, and, well, quite simply, he's not you."

"He's going to be after me at this rate," Sandru said, laughing lightly, though he did not sound entirely certain it was a joke.

"Just don't touch me and you'll be fine," Seras assured him.

"No hugs?" he pouted.

She smiled. "On occasion, so long as it's only very friendly."

"Wouldn't dream of having it any other way," he promised, grinning down at her. A warmth seemed to fill the air between them, comfortable and settling; it was a feeling of understanding, a compromised situation that was mostly pleasing to them both, perhaps more so to Seras, but Sandru would never admit that.

"I cannot stay," Seras said softly after a brief pause. "He said our talk should be brief."

"Why though?" Sandru asked curiously.

Seras shook her head. "You don't always have to have a reason when you're a no-life king. Whims are law, and laws are holy; or as holy as can be, given that we are all damned."

"You say it so lightly," Sandru observed.

"How else am I supposed to say it?" Seras inquired. "If I think about it too much, I'll forget to live, and then I'll be in hell before I've even had the chance to uncover what this unlife has to offer."

"Eloquently put," Sandru said approvingly.

"We'll talk more later," Seras replied. "I'll be back before dawn, if possible. I'm not sure what Alucard's plans for me are."

"I'm not sure I want to know," Sandru remarked darkly, his expression slightly sickened.

Seras laughed and hit him over the arm, perhaps a little harder than was necessary given her vampire strength. One advantage to Alucard was that she never had to hold back; he was so powerful in nature that it was all she could do to scratch him. She apologized swiftly to her young werewolf companion and promised she would return, before taking off towards the castle and bounding up the cliffs with such grace and ease that it left most of the pack staring after her in admiration.

As he had promised, Alucard was waiting for her in their room, sitting at his desk with a crystal glass in hand, sipping at a mixture of blood and wine with a thoughtful expression on his face. Seras smiled at the familiar position; it brought back so many memories of her years as a fledgling in Hellsing.

Alucard locked eyes with her for a moment (his way of acknowledging her presence) and then took another sip of his drink, returning to his previous pensive pose.

"What are you thinking?" Seras asked curiously, leaning back against the wall by the door.

"I am deciding whether I would benefit more from the death of that dog, or the life of him," he replied matter-of-factly.

Seras stared at him in alarm. Then her eyes traveled to the upturned corners of his lips, journeying upward once more to his tantalizing, crimson eyes. He looked at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief; it was his idea of a joke, at least, she hoped that's what that amused, self-satisfied expression meant. She at least felt bold enough to return his smile.

"Have you finished your work tonight?"

"Mostly."

"What else do you have to do this evening?"

"A few things."

"You're not very good at conversation, you know that?" she accused, folding her arms across her chest.

He smirked. "Are you insinuating that my social skills are not always perfect?" he asked her sarcastically. "I suppose I should be very offended, my dear, but that would only give you the false satisfaction of believing you have found a sensitive point in my character."

"You have your sensitive points, but I don't think _that_ is one of them," she replied. "Although, I must admit that I was impressed with how civilly you addressed the pack earlier this evening."

"Politics exist in every world."

"Yes, I can see that," Seras agreed. "Living with vampires is not what I expected."

"And how does it compare to living with werewolves?"

She shrugged dispassionately. "Werewolves are loud, and always busy, and there's absolutely no privacy. Vampires are cold and calculated. Is one better than the other? Not now, but I suppose a few years down the road, I'll come to prefer vampire society. As you said, I'm still growing. I can almost feel the changes happening within me, and within the way I think."

"I'm glad to hear it. You have come a long way since you were first created."

"Thank you," she said brightly, cherishing the rare compliment.

Alucard chuckled darkly. "Don't thank me yet. You may have come a long way, but you still have a long way to go. The road before you is longer than the one behind. Personally, I'm looking forward to it."

"It doesn't concern you," Seras returned coldly.

"Doesn't it?" he returned. "I am the one who put you upon it. I will be the one to watch you walk, to guide your footing. When you stop, it is my duty to push you on, and if you stumble, who do you think will set you on your feet again? This road was my gift to you- I intend to see you reach the end of it."

Seras swallowed. Whenever Alucard spoke, there was always a lilt of sarcasm and humor in his voice; and yet, as he described the 'road' she must travel, his voice was entirely _too_ serious. He was not teasing her, and he was not manipulating her. Seras shivered, wondering if she had been entirely ready to become Alucard's mate.

"I would have preferred to wait a few more years, until you had come into your own," he said in response to her thoughts. "But I did not intend to have you become the wife of another draconist simply because I didn't think you were ready. And once, the mating process begins, the female _must_ choose."

"You seemed upset when I left, though," Seras said weakly.

"I was," he replied. "I had been carefully raising you to become a powerful nosferatu, and eventually, my no-life queen. Immagine my disappointment when you told me you did not want to be a part of the future I had made for myself."

"I don't have to imagine," Seras said, smiling. "I have very vivid memories of that night."

"I'm sure," he said, his smirk returning at her words. "Women seldom forget their first experience with a man."

"I wasn't talking about _that_," Seras said, her face heating up. "I was talking about how angry you got."

Alucard visibly scowled. "Perhaps I _am_ offended now. A night like that and all you can remember is my temper tantrum?"

Seras laughed. "No, I remember everything in perfect detail. You said 'imagine my disappointment' so I was referring to that."

Alucard regarded her skeptically for a moment, and then took another sip of his glass. Seras watched him curiously, wondering if he would speak again. When he did not, she said, "May I go back down to the werewolves?"

"No, not right now."

"When then?" she asked.

"Later."

Seras rolled her eyes and replied, "Thank you for being _so_ specific. Was there something you needed me for?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I wanted to speak with you about the war."

"What about it?" Seras asked nervously.

"I simply want to discuss different circumstances for what might happen. As I'm sure you know, wars can be very unpredictable."

"Alright," she agreed, crossing the room to where he sat and hoisting herself up on the desk. "What do you want me to know?"

"As little as possible," he said in a low voice, ignoring her glare. "That aside, I would like you to know what should happen in the event that an attack is led against the castle. There are two scenarios for this. One: the castle is attacked and we meet them in the valley. Two: They catch us by surprise and attack when the draconists are gone."

"G-gone?" Seras repeated.

"We cannot anticipate where our armies will first clash- there are too many varying factors. If, by chance, we are fighting away from home, and you are attacked, I want to go over the steps you should take for preservation."

"Do you think that is likely?" she asked inquisitively.

"No, but I would rather not take any chances," Alucard replied, setting down his glass. "It is most likely that, whatever happens, you will not be alone. If we are called away, a portion of our numbers will remain behind to watch over the women. Moving on, if the first scenario occurs, the first thing to be done will be to move the females into the catacombs. Likewise, the werewolf woman and children will be moved into underground tunnels by another entrance, one that is more accessible to their kind. You recall, perhaps, that as my wife, you are expected to lead the vampiresses to safety? You need not search for the wolves- they will be safe, though at quite a distance from you. Understood?"

"But what if-"

"_Understood?_"

"Yes, sir," she said unhappily.

"You will have your gun with you, and ample ammunition, but that does not mean that you are a part of the battle. You are to stay hidden, and await retrieval. Your weapon is a last resort only. The other women will not be equipped with weapons."

"Well, at least _that's_ a relief. I would hate to be surrounded by nervous women with no rifle training."

Alucard smiled slightly, before saying, "In the event of the second scenario, things will be very different. Then, and only then, you are to meet your enemy head-on and intelligently, destroying as best as you are able. You are to send me a distress call the moment you sense trouble, and I will be there in an instant to aid you, even if it means leaving the others behind."

"That's stupid, you can't abandon your army!" Seras protested.

He did not reply, but slid his hand over hers and looked into her eyes with the same unfamiliar intensity he had exhibited earlier that evening.

"Alucard..." she said thoughtfully. "How long do you think this war will continue?"

"As long as it must."

"And... is it worth it?" she asked slowly.

"You will know when it is done," he assured her.

"I know I shouldn't be afraid, but I can't help it, especially knowing that I am carrying a child," Seras said, averting her eyes to the floor. "If something happens to me, it doesn't matter, but I guess I'm finally coming to understand the "mother's love" I always heard about as a human."

"You never knew your mother," Alucard stated, his head cocked to one side as he surveyed her.

"No, but that's irrelevant," Seras said quickly. "This is a different life than that. I can barely even remember what it was like to be a human."

"I am pleased to see that you have let go of you childhood memories. They used to give you nightmares when you were at Hellsing."

"Most children don't watch through a crack in the closet as their father is brutally murdered," she replied quietly.

"No, that is true. I watched from a hilltop when my father died."

Seras, not knowing where it came from, began to laugh at his statement. "And did you have nightmares, too, Alucard?"

"No, not as you did. But much of that owed to my nature, and my dispassionate interest in my father's well-being. He was a tool, not a man in my eyes."

"Was there ever anyone who was not a tool to you?" she asked, smiling.

"Radu," Alucard said with a shrug. "As a human, I was very attached to him, but we fought frequently. We had a rather interesting habit of always courting the same women. Similar taste, I suppose. It was no surprise that he attempted to possess you. However, for once, I had the advantage- I knew you. You were mine, and I never intended to relinquish you. Of course, I found myself uncomfortably swayed by the pleasure I took in seeing you content and happy. _That_ was rather unexpected."

"And yet you torment me endlessly," Seras sighed.

Alucard smirked, rising from the chair. He placed his hands flat on the desk to either side of her small body, leaning forward so that their faces were inches apart. "Do you remember all your instructions?"

She nodded briefly.

"Then you are free to go."

"I would rather stay," she admitted tentatively.

He grinned and kissed the side of her neck. "I would rather that you stay as well. Unfortunately, I have some people I must meet with. Go and visit with your dogs. I will see you in the morning."

She nodded, and tried to jump off the desk with the result that she suddenly found her face pressed against the rock hard muscles of Alucard's chest.

"Um, Alucard, could you perhaps let me move?" she asked politely, trying to keep the blush from her face.

"It would have been wiser to ask before you jumped," he pointed out, stepping back.

She shrugged, turning to leave, but found she could not move far; his fingers had clenched around her wrist, and were slowly pulling her back to him. His lips brushed against hers briefly before he released her. She quickly departed before her sensual desires got the better of her, knowing better than to let him go too far when he was busy.

-

"Sandru! Daciana!" Seras called, jogging to the place where they were pitching a rather pitiful excuse for a tent.

"The monster let you out?" Sandru teased, though even he seemed surprised.

"He has work to do. He just wanted to speak with me about the war."

"And what did he say?" Daciana asked with interest.

"That we would all be cared for no matter what, vampire and werewolf alike, though not quite as nicely as I just put it." Seras offered a small smile to them.

"You seem uneasy," Sandru observed.

"Well... the conversation was of a very serious nature," she explained doubtfully, not meeting his eyes. "I'll admit I'm a bit nervous about my child. Oh! Did you know? It's a son!"

"Congratulations," the two said in unison before glancing at each other and glaring.

"What's his name?" Daciana inquired.

"Name...?" Seras repeated blankly. "I hadn't thought of that. I guess Alucard and I will have to talk about it later. It's ultimately up to him."

"Like everything," Sandru coughed in annoyance.

"I'm used to that," Seras said dismissively. "He was my master before he was my mate, and I definitely prefer things the way they are to the way they were then. He's so much more open with me."

"And I'm sure you enjoy your time _alone_," Daciana hinted.

Seras blushed. Honestly, that girl had no tact! But then, she was a werewolf, and by nature, they were much more open and shameless than vampires.

"Yes, we do," Seras said decisively. "When we are alone, Alucard can tell me things he would not say in public, and I like that."

Sandru could not help grinning at her smooth recovery. "So how long are you allowed to stay with us, the lowly wolves?" he asked sarcastically.

"Until dawn," she replied. "That's nearly two hours, though if you would rather rest, I'm considering going for a walk."

"I'll go with you," Sandru said quickly.

"I'll sleep," Daciana added, stifling a yawn. "I'm not used to being awake this time of morning."

Seras nodded, and began to walk out of the werewolf camp, Sandru right on her heels. They made their way across the open expanse of grass, moving slowly in the direction of the small village that resided at the far end of the valley.

"So, how have you been, Seras?" Sandru asked conversationally.

She shrugged. "The moodswings have been... interesting... but it's nice to be able to eat again. Alucard has been taking care of me to the best of his ability. I'm sure it's difficult for him, though, as he's never had a longstanding mate before."

"But I'm sure he's slept with plenty of women," Sandru said, testing to see if that bothered her.

"If he has, it is none of my concern," she replied easily. "But I think it's rather foolish of you to try to make me jealous that way."

"Oh, Seras, don't be mad," Sandru said. "You just can't see that you deserve so much better than this life. If you were human, you'd be an angel. What color were your eyes?"

"What sort of question is that?" she demanded.

"I'm just curious."

"Blue," she said, sighing. "My eyes were blue. And now I would like to know why you are trying to make me miss being human. There's no going back from this. If I was human, I'd be in a cemetery in the middle of nowhere, with no mourners. Everyone who ever meant anything to me is dead. But here... I _have_ a life. I have a mate, a child, friends... if I was human, Sandru, I would never have even _met_ you."

"True," he agreed. "And I wouldn't have wanted that. Blond hair and blue eyes... I wonder how they would look in gold...?"

Seras jumped in alarm. "Awful, I'm sure," she said quickly.

Sandru chuckled. "Relax, there's nothing I can do to you now. Our bites are nothing to vampires, just as vampire bites are nothing to us. It was just a thought."

"The sort of thought that will get you killed," Seras muttered. "Alucard _doesn't_ like to share."

"I'm not hitting on you," Sandru assured her. "Perhaps if you _were_ a human I would try to, but a vampire and a werewolf? That's something you don't hear about. After all, I've heard blood is essentially to vampires when they mate, and our blood tastes awful to you."

Seras nodded vaguely. "I almost vomited the first time a smelt it. I can't even _imagine_ how terrible it must taste..."

"Let me know if you'd ever like to find out," he said helpfully.

Seras laughed. "You'll be the first to know. I'm surprised you're not exhausted from your trip."

"Oh, I am," Sandru replied. "But I've missed you. _A lot._ I want to talk with you while there's still time."

"Still time?" Seras questioned, eying him curiously. "We have all the time in the world. It's not like I'm a ticking time bomb or anything."

"Well, this war could go on for months, and there's a lot of work to be done preparing for it. One of the other pack leaders said that we were going to begin construction of a wall around the camp (Draculae's orders). And then you'll have the baby, and that'll take most of your time. We have a busy year ahead of us, and unlike you, I'm not immortal. For all any of us knows, I may not even survive this war."

"Sandru, don't say that!" Seras said angrily.

"I'm sorry, Ser, but it's true," he said, forcing a weak smile. "I'd like to enjoy what time I have with you, because I'm not sure when it will all end."

"Oh, Sandru," Seras complained. "You're as bad as Alucard! All this talk about dying! I've never seen him so serious in my life!"

"_He's_ worried about dying?" Sandru asked skeptically.

She shook her head. "He's worried about me or the baby getting hurt."

Sandru began to chuckle.

"What?" Seras asked, glancing up at him with a puzzled expression.

"It's just funny. You vampires estrange yourself so much from humans and other creatures, but you're really not so different. Your mate sounds like any human male, putting his wife and child before himself in everything."

Seras blushed, smiling a little. "It's a nice thought, Sandru, but Alucard also sees this situation in terms of gain. He's says our son has a strong aura. So if I produce I powerful child, that child could one day grow to serve him as a draconist, and increase his power among the other clans."

"And what gain does he get from you?" Sandru asked, still smiling.

"_That_ is no more your business than it is Daciana's."

-

So, that's it for ch. 13... I hope you all liked it! Please remember to ask questions if you're confused, and pass on suggestings/criticisms of my writing style. I apologize for any type-o's. I'm really lazy and I never proof-read _or_ beta test my work. sigh oh, well. It comes alright in the end, I hope. Review!


	14. Cosmin

Alright, I know I'm absolutely awful about updating! So sorry guys! I'll try harder this time, I promise! Enjoy the next chappie! XD R&R

-

Seras slowly opened her eyes as cold air swept over her, gazing up at the sky in search of stars. To her surprise, the black that arched above her was empty of any light. In fact, she could see nothing at all; no trees, no grass. She could feel nothing beneath her or above her but the cool wind.

"Alucard...?"

The word was devoured by the black. Sound and sight were nothing here, wherever 'here' was. She felt her stomach clench and unclench. There was something vaguely familiar about this place, as if she had been here before.

She tried to walk, but her feet floated along with the rest of her, kicking at the nothingness.

_What is this place? _she thought desperately. _Where am I?_

_Seras... _ a voice breathed into her ear.

_Alucard?_ She spun around, her eyes staring at the emptiness. _Alucard. Are you there? Can you hear me?_

_Yes, I'm here,_ he said to her, but his voice was so faint, as if it was spoken from the deepest recesses of her mind.

_I don't understand. Where am I? Why am I here?_

_Listen to me, Seras. _His voice sounded so distant. _You must come back._

_Come... back...? Alucard, I don't understand..._

Her words were met with silence.

_Alucard? Alucard! Alucard, don't leave me!_

_Can't... still here... waiting for... Seras..._

She felt the connection die, felt his presence leave her altogether, and suddenly, only the darkness remained. She shook her head furiously trying to keep calm, looking around for any sign of anything.

Was that a light? She tried to move to it, but still her legs met only empty air. Fortunately, it seemed to be moving towards her. As it grew closer, she saw that it was not a light so much as a window into a brightly lit room, a brightly lit room filled with people. She blinked and stared closely, recognizing some of the people.

A tall man with gray hair held a tiny toe-head in his lap, bouncing her up and down on his lap. Beside him, two more equally blond children played on a rug. A door opened and in walked a beautiful blond with a tall, handsome fair-haired man at her side. The man placed a quick kiss on her lips before scooping up one of his lovely children and propping it on his hip.

Seras cocked her head to the side. That woman was her, and the older gentleman was her father. Her eyes were still blue.

_My life..._ she thought distantly. _This would have been my life, if I had never gone with Alucard._

Parted of her felt like it was collapsing, her undead heart ripping in two. The beautiful human children, the beautiful human husband, the beautiful human life. Then a reasonable part of her spoke up.

_Your father was dead before you met Alucard, and you were dying. This could never have been._

And even as she thought it, the image disappeared, and all was dark once more. Seconds later, another window was illuminated, and within it lay a far fouler scene than the last. A field of death and blood, fragments of flesh scattered on the scarlet grass, smoke billowing in the distance. Something stirred in the midst of the gore, a shapeless creature of shadow, eyes of red and large white fangs.

_Alucard?_ She wondered, scrutinizing it closer. But no. The creature began to take on a human form: a woman dressed in a gown of midnight, her silvery hair flowing to her ankles, eyes burning with lust. She looked ethereal, haunting and very deadly. Trails of blood dripped from her mouth, flowing down to her neck and into the valley of her breasts. Her grin as she disemboweled a half-dead soldier was unforgettable.

_No,_ she told herself fervently. _That is not me. It is not me._

But of course, she knew exactly who that ghastly, beautiful creature was. She tried to reason with her fears, reminding herself that though Alucard could look as frightening (if not more so) in the heat of a battle, he maintained a sense of normalcy that surely she would always have with her, if she wished. And she smiled as another, more pleasant thought passed through her mind.

_I finally look like his proper wife._

The window vanished like the first, and a third appeared, perhaps the most fascinating yet. There she was again, holding a small child on her lap, a boy with jet black hair and piercing crimson eyes. Behind her moved a shadow that surrounded her and the boy as if it was some sort of fortress.

"Alucard..." she whispered fondly, watching as the shadow twisted to form a wall against some unseen threat. She smiled wondrously when the word escaped her lips, for it sounded very real to her, no longer a suppressed thought in her head. She reached out to the window, and her fingers brushed against its surface, rippling the image. Suddenly the first two windows returned, side by side, slowly orbiting around her body.

_Choose..._

It was a whisper of a thought, in a voice she could only decipher as an unfamiliar male's, though she was not sure where it had come from.

Choose? Was there ever a choice? Her eyes flickered from one image to the next, from the tempting fate she might have had as a human, to the haunting future of fierce and beautiful power, and finally to the life with Alucard and her child. It was hardly a difficult choice. She reached from her vampiric family, and again the image rippled.

Everything went dark, the windows dissolved, but she could feel something solid beneath her.

"Seras."

She blinked, and like that, the world was back. It took her a moment to get her bearings, but slowly, she realized the solid thing she felt beneath her was the desk of her bedroom. Alucard was leaning over her, gazing intensely down at her with a strange expression in his eyes.

She smiled up at him. "Good evening."

"Good evening, indeed," he replied. "Though you have been unconscious for three days."

"Three days?" she repeated. "And it felt like only a few minutes to me. Have I missed much?"

"No."

"Good," she said sighing. "I feel strangely tired after sleeping for so long..."

"You were not sleeping. You were dying."

"Dying?!" Alarm finally struck, and she tried to bolt upward, but his skillfully placed hands kept her flat against the desk. "I don't understand? Was I wounded? I don't remember anything! What happened?! Is the baby alright?"

"The baby is more than fine," Alucard said solemnly. "It is the baby that was killing you."

"W..what?" she whispered in disbelief. "My baby...?" Her hands flew defensively to her stomach, as if Alucard was threatening the child within it.

"I was wrong to give you this responsibility," he said drawing back. "You were too young. You still had too many doubts. And your mind is still partially that of a human's. That is how the child was able to induce you into such a state. He believed you were unsuitable as a mother, and therefore thought to test you."

"Unsuitable..." the words stung Seras visciously. Of course she was unsuitable. This was Alucard's child, wasn't it? Therefore, she would never be worthy to carry it. It was obviously more intelligent than she, and more capable of using it's powers, even though it was unborn. "I'm pathetic," she realized, depression sinking in. "I should never have..."

"Seras," Alucard interrupted in a voice so forcefully calm that it silenced her instantly. "You are not pathetic. Your child took the pains to show you that these past three days. Or do you not recall?"

"You saw what I saw?" she asked in wonder.

"Yes, I did."

"And what was it he was showing me?" she asked curiously.

"He was forcing you to confront your doubts and your future. I believe he wished to see if you would be a welcoming mother to his presence. I am pleased to say that you succeeded. You refused your ideal human life, accepted your bloodthirsty future self and chose ultimately your vampiric family above everything else."

"What would have happened if I had failed?" she asked quietly.

"You would not have woken up. The child would have used your shell of a body as nourishment and then killed you upon birth. There would have been nothing I could do to stop it. If I had killed the child, your would have died as well, because of the link he created between the two of you."

"You thought I would die, didn't you?" she said, meeting his gaze as confidently as she could.

"I underestimated you." He seemed proud; of the child? Or of her? "I am impressed by the devotion you feel to the life you have here."

"I am disappointed that you doubted it," she replied.

Alucard smirked. "Yes, why would I ever doubt when you have already walked out of my life once?"

"You know I did it only because you were not honest with me," she said pointedly. "You should have known, since you remind me daily, that my human emotions would not allow me to stay with you when I believed you to be indifferent, perhaps to even dislike or be disappointed in me. And are you happy that I survived?"

In answer to her question, she abruptly found his lips moving against hers, one of his arms snaking beneath her back and pressing her up against his chest. There was something particularly pleasant about this kiss. It was fervent, desperate, and it spoke volumes of relief.

When they broke apart, she said slyly, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about me."

He shrugged. "If something happened to you, I would be stuck raising that kid all by myself."

_He's lying._

Seras blinked at the sound of the familiar voice. _Who are you?_ she asked, taking care to shield the conversation.

_Who do you think?_

_You... my... son...?_ she exclaimed, the widening of her eyes alerting Alucard to a problem.

_You may call me Cosmin, Mother,_ he replied.

_Cosmin. My Cosmin. _ She smiled. _How is it that you can speak to me?_

_Our connection will last through to my birth, and from there, we will begin anew._

_Your voice is that of a man's_, she observed.

_I am a man. You think my three-month self could sustain this type of conversation? All children, every species must begin somewhere. Out of my concern for our relationship, I decided to intervene to ensure that you would care for me._

_Cosmin, whatever issues I may have with my relationship with your father, know that they will never extend to you. You are my son – I could never be more delighted by your existance._

_Thank you, Mother, though I had already learned as much from our journey through your mind. I apologize for detaining you so long, but I had to know the truth of your feelings towards myself, as well as this life._

_Your father is staring at me with annoyance, _she told him.

_He suspects._

_Should I tell him?_

_He will simply read your mind while you sleep. No harm can come of it, nor can any gain. It is entirely up to you._

"Cosmin," she said aloud, looking up at her mate with a faint smile. "His name is Cosmin."

"And did he bestow himself with this name?" Alucard asked, an eyebrow raised.

"He simply told me it was his name. Why?"

Alucard chuckled. "In Romanian it means beauty and perfection."

"Well, then I guess he takes after his father."

"Why, thank you."

"I meant in respect to his arrogance," she said, rolling her eyes. Then, she was not quite sure how it happened, but in an instant, she found herself on her feet, pressed against a wall, Alucard bent low so that their faces were level.

"I would have thought by now you would have learned to watch your tongue," he said in a low voice, his lips just inches from her own.

"I'll remember that next time we're in bed," she assured him, smiling wickedly.

"Speaking of which..."

"Careful, dear, the baby is watching," she said sarcastically.

"I very much doubt that he is a child," Alucard replied huskily. "And if he is, he will not know what is happening. I'm not worried."

"I was afraid you'd say that," she said quietly.

"Were you?" he asked curiously. "Does that mean I have to feed you to get you to cooperate?"

"I already told you I was tired," she said, though her fingers were already slipping between the buttons of his shirt.

"You need food more than rest."

"Funny how things always work out conveniently for you," she remarked, putting her arms around his neck.

He merely smirked as he hooked his arm beneath her legs and carried her to the coffin.

-

Seras awoke some time later and found herself staring at the dark interior of the coffin lid. She could sense that it was early evening, meaning she had slept for almost a day. As she rolled over, her thoughts drifted to Alucard, and she couldn't help wondering where he was.

_BOOM._

_BOOM._

Seras shot up in the coffin, her head colliding painfully with the lid until she gathered the intelligence to move it. What the hell was that? She stared around blearily and spotted her Harkonnen leaning in the corner of the room. Her clothes had already begun to materialize on her body as she grabbed it.

_BOOM._

What was going on? The sounds seemed to be coming from within the castle, most likely from the entrance hall. Seras dashed out the door, down the hall and to the top of the stair case where a horrific sight met her eyes. Blood spattered the walls and floor, turning the pale marble a deep, ominous crimson. Seras searched for the source. Her eyes rested on a small cluster of terrified female vampires, and then on a few of the draconists, watching solemnly as Alucard and Radu squared off against each other.

Radu!

Suddenly, everything began to click into place in Seras' mind. He had come back. But why were they fighting? Had Radu challenged Alucard? Broken a rule? Seras set the Harkonnen down beside her, while she herself collapsed with relief on the edge of the steps. She sought out her mate's swiftly moving form, wondering how much damage he had taken. He was still in his humanly appearance, which meant that Radu was not proving to be much of a challenge. Though much of the blood in the room belonged to Alucard, she knew better than to be alarmed.

From his stance and his smirk, it was quite obvious that he was toying with his younger brother, and... that he had no intention of killing him...? She was pretty sure that that was what that look meant. Perhaps Alucard was more attached to the last of his family than he let on. So why were they fighting at all?

She sighed, trying to keep up with their rapid movements, and more importantly, to make sure Alucard didn't get seriously wounded. However, that was rather difficult, as he had a tendency to let his enemies wound him on purpose to give a false sense of security. She frowned as Radu ripped a chunk of flesh off Alucard's shoulder.

A part of her wanted to join in the battle, as she once had, to stand by her master's side and revel in the bloodlust with him; unfortunately, the rational side of her pointed out that she was vulnerable in her pregnancy and would really be more of a hindrance than a help.

Alucard disappeared to avoid a punch and reappeared behind his foe, sinking his teeth into the shoulder blade and ripping the muscles beneath it. He vanished once again, but when he reappeared, he had misjudged. Seras' eyes widened, her stomach clenching, as Alucard's head soared through the air and his body slumped, seemingly lifeless.

_He's not dead,_ she reminded herself fervently. _He's not dead._ But even so, a faint cry escaped her lips, and Radu turned his crimson eyes on her. In an instant, he had rematerialized behind her, trapping her arms so that she couldn't move. Seras scoffed. She had not endured years of police training to be taken down by something as stupid as a bear hold.

Jamming her finger into the pressure point on his wrist, she felt his grip slacken slightly, and at that point she broke free, twisting one of his arms behind him and pinning him to the floor. She dug her knee into the valley of his shoulder blades, and heard him groan in frustration.

"And what business do you have with me?" she asked in a low, threatening voice.

"I came here only for you," Radu replied quickly. "I still want you, and I can offer you a better life."

"Are you out of your mind?" Seras hissed. "You're going to die for some idiotic fantasy about you and me? Even if your brother didn't kill you, I _would_."

"He is dead!" Radu retorted. "I killed him! I am the better vampire! You are mine!"

Seras laughed. "You really think he's dead? Well, I'm sure he didn't_plan_ on getting his head cut off, but it's just a setback."

"A_setback_?!" Radu repeated, laughing. "You are more naïve than I thought! There are only a few ways to kill a vampire. Stake in the heart, cut off his head, burn his coffin. He is dead, Seras, and you are mine."

"Even if he was dead, I would never be yours," she said darkly. "But seeing as he's not..."

The room was growing dimmer, the shadows flickering, the blood sinking into Alucard's lifeless corpse. Everyone watched as the flesh regrew, as their vampire king stepped from the shadows, as frightening as he'd ever been, his long hair ebbing down his back and blowing in the nonexistent breeze. Seras could not help smiling; Alucard had accidentally rematerialized in the red trench coat he had worn back in Hellsing.

He walked slowly towards her, his footsteps echoing around the silent hall.

"Good evening, Seras," he said, smirking at the horrified look on Radu's face. "I believe you have something of mine."

Seras blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interfere..."

"You did what you had to. Now, I'll take over from here."

The battle ended swiftly after that. Though Seras released Radu and allowed him to ready himself to finish fighting, it seemed as though Alucard's patience had worn thin. Radu fled once he could see that it was a hopeless situation, and Alucard did not bother to pursue him.

With the hall deathly still and empty of any enemies, Seras trotted down the stairs, trying to control her breathing as she rushed forward to greet her mate.

"Are you alright?" she asked quickly, her eyes flicking up and down his tall form.

He smiled at her concern, extending a hand to her. She swiftly took it and allowed herself to be pulled to him, immediately burying her face in his chest. "Well done, Seras," he said quietly.

"Why didn't you want to kill him?" she asked, though the words were somewhat muffled by his shirt.

"Your original assumption was correct," he said simply.

Seras smiled. "Careful, Alucard, people are going to realize that you have a soft side. Though in all honesty, I find it rather attractive."

"It is very limited," he told her.

"All the better," she replied, pressing herself to him. "That makes it more worth earning. Come with me back to the room?"

"I have to get back to work," he said.

Seras frowned. "That's no fun... will you come find me when you have some free time?"

"Yes. If you feel able, I would like for you to continue training the fledglings."

"Alright," she agreed, reluctantly pulling away from him.

Alucard watched as she hurried up the stairs, before turning to the three draconists who had stood and watched the ordeal.

"Sigismund," he said.

Sigismund stepped forward, his silvery hair fanning slightly behind him as he walked. They walked into the meeting room and shut the doors. Alucard immediately erected a barrier around the room to mask their words.

"I don't like this," Alucard said calmly. "You recognize the problem?"

"He wouldn't have come back just for a woman," Sigismund agreed.

"Then what was his purpose?" Alucard mused.

"We both know that you know and I don't," Sigismund replied flatly.

Alucard smirked. "You're not being creative, my old friend. How do you expect to learn anything like that?"

"Draculae, we are losing time. Soon, his trail will be gone."

"I'll follow him myself," Alucard informed him. "I believe things may be more serious than we expected."

"You don't mean...?"

"There you go," Alucard said. "I knew you had it in you somewhere. Solutions are rarely as elusive as we believe them to be. You are in charge until my return, of course. Discretion is important until I come back."

Sigismund nodded. "What of your bride?"

"I'll speak with her before I leave," Alucard told him, "though I do not see how _that_ is any concern of yours."

Sigismund let out a faint laugh. "You wouldn't want her to slip into another coma, would you? It was her unhappiness that caused the first one."

"You see, this is why I have to take the time to tell you everything by word of mouth. I try to send information through a mental connection and you start prying into the other parts of my mind."

"Forgive my curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"... what?"

"Modern expression. Never mind."

-

"Alucard!" Seras exclaimed, her face lighting up at the sight of him. She was surpervising target practice with the fledglings, her Harkonnen slung over her back. "I didn't expect you so soon."

"I have to leave," he said.

"Leave...?"

"I'm not sure when I'll be back, but it may be several days."

"Days?" she repeated.

He took a step towards her, sliding his hands beneath her chin and tilting it upwards. "It is necessary."

She nodded, leaning up for a kiss. Just then, one of the fledglings began to shout, having accidentally shot himself in the foot

"What the hell do you think happens when you pull the trigger?" Seras yelled, looking away from her mate. The fledgling glared indignantly, but kept his voice down. Seras turned back, taking a step towards Alucard.

He gladly leaned down to kiss her good-bye, taking his time by pushing his tongue into her mouth, almost as if to show her what she would be missing in his absence. When he pulled away, she inadvertently followed with her lips, stumbling forward slightly, and causing Alucard to grin smugly. Seras opened her eyes to tell him she'd miss him, but he had already vanished.

-

I'll try to update again asap! Don't worry, though, I'm not discontinuing the story! Review please!


	15. In the Company of Friends

Hey, readers! I made a special effort to get this next chappie done as a treat for the holidays! My New Years Resolution? To update more frequently! Happy New Years everybody! R&R

-

Seras stared at the place where Alucard had stood moments before, sighing. She couldn't help wondering how long it would take for him to return. Forcing herself to concentrate, she turned back to her fledglings, who were trying their best to hit the rapidly moving targets Seras had bewitched to rotate in a large circle.

When the majority of them had succeeded in destroying the targets, she changed their pattern into something seemingly sporadic, and that demanded her full attention, forcing her to take her mind off of Alucard's sudden departure. She was so engrossed in the activity that she didn't even notice Sandru creeping up behind her.

_Mother, I sense something foul approaching._

The targets dropped to the ground (much to the confusion of the fledglings) as Seras jumped in surprise at the sound of her son's voice. She whirled around, searching for, perhaps, Radu or a human with a silver knife, but saw only Sandru, shrinking away from her impulsive movements.

"Oh, you scared me," she gasped. "That activity really pulls the energy out of me."

"Looks like it," he agreed, eying the motionless targets piled in the grass. "When did you learn that?"

Seras blinked and glanced down. "I don't really know. I guess I just sort of... knew it."

_My gift to you, as an apology for my control of your mind,_ Cosmin said from within her.

Seras groaned. "I'm going to start questioning my sanity if you keep bursting out with occasional remarks like that!" she complained.

"Um... sorry?" Sandru said in confusion.

"Oh, sorry," Seras said, blushing a little. "It's Cosmin, my son. He keeps talking to me."

"I'm going to choose not to respond to that. Don't explain: I don't want to know."

She laughed, and punched him lightly on the arm. "Well, then I guess I can't explain why I went missing for three days either."

"Are you trying to blame that on your unborn baby?" Sandru asked in disbelief.

"You thought Alucard locked me up, didn't you?" she said flatly.

Sandru shrugged. "It could happen."

"Even if it _did_ happen it would be for a reason," Seras replied. "I trust him to do what is right for me. Besides, he gives me a lot of free range. He lets me hang out with you after all, even though he's jealous. He says he cares for my happiness against his will. That's why he let me go in the first place."

"Oh, with the minor detail that he tricked you by impregnating you," Sandru reminded her.

Seras felt herself turning red as she stammered, "H-he couldn't have done it... without my consent. To bring a child vampire into the world, both parents have to w-want it. He may have done it out of spite, but _I_ let it happen."

Sandru raised his eyebrows. "Why is everything complicated with you bloodsuckers?"

"Power complicates everything," she said dispassionately. She suddenly remembered the fledglings and began to force the targets to move in a circle once again so that she could continue her conversation.

"What is this thing?" he asked abruptly, gesturing to the hulking Harkonnen cannon on her back.

"Anti-Midian weapon," Seras said with a fanged smirk. "It was my gun back in Hellsing. I used this to kill some of the fiercest hell-creatures immaginable. Werewolves can survive minor gun wounds from ordinary weapons, but no werewolf or vampire shot with this would ever survive."

"Should I be worried?" he joked, though he did seem a little bit uneasy.

Seras smiled innocently. "Just remember not to rub Alucard the wrong way. His guns aren't as devastating as mine, but he can put a lot more bullets in you at a much faster rate. I have to reload between every bullet."

She nodded her head in the direction of a pile of large bullets no more than five feet away. Sandru gaped. "How do you even pick one of those up?" he said in awe.

Seras ignored his comment and decided to spend a few minutes correcting her fledglings. When she returned, Sandru had other questions to ask.

"I heard a rumor about that vampire from before... what was his name? You know, the one who came to the village."

"Radu?" she suggested.

"Yeah, him. He made a pretty big fuss this morning, you know. Walked right through the werewolf camp, shouting about some sort of challenge. Someone said he fought Draculae for rulership of the draconists and fled when the battle didn't go well. I'm surprised Draculae didn't go after him."

"They're brothers," she explained. "I don't think Alucard wanted to kill him."

"Draculae has a brother?" Sandru said in surprise.

"Surprised me, too," Seras confessed.

"My lady!"

Seras looked up from her conversation to see one of the draconists hurrying towards her, one she did not know specifically.

"My lady, Lord Sigismund has ordered your return to the castle. He will not say why."

Seras cocked her head to the side as she surveyed him. "How can Sigismund expect me to obey such a strange order without explanation?"

"With all due respect, my lady, while Lord Draculae is away, Lord Sigismund is in command. He was very insistent the you return with all the fledglings at once."

Seras huffed. "Very well. Pack it up and move it out boys!" she called to the fledglings, who exchanged baffled glances before conceding and returning the guns to their crates.

"Lord Sigismund requests that you bring the weapons, my lady," the draconist said smoothly.

A wave of angst hit Seras. The war could not have already begun, could it?

"Bring the crates, and quickly!" Seras told her fledglings. "Sandru, I have to go see what this is about. I'll come back once Sigismund thinks it's safe."

"I understand," Sandru agreed, his eyes barely concealing his worry. "I'll head back to the camp and make sure Daciana's alright."

She nodded, and rushed the fledglings back to the castle, where Sigismund was waiting for her in the entrance hall.

"Lady Draculae," he said respectfully when she approached him. "Will you join me in private for a moment?"

She acquiesced and followed him into the meeting room. He doubled back to shut the doors, and she noticed that his aura expanded to fill the room.

"A sound barrier," he said in response to her questioning glance. "What I am going to say to you is naturally of interest to many who should not hear it."

"And what is it you're going to say?" she asked sharply, leaning on the table.

"I sense a threat approaching the castle."

_Told you,_ Cosmin put in.

"What kind of threat?"

_Humans._

"I smell a large quantity of humans. It's possible they have been waiting for Draculae to leave the castle."

"How would they know he left?" she inquired.

"We have begun to wonder if Radu did not turn traitor to us," Sigismund said darkly. That is why Draculae left, to follow Radu. He said I may disclose as much to you if necessary, and I believe it _is_ necessary in this circumstance."

"That... doesn't seem like something Radu would do," Seras said quietly.

Sigismund laughed. "You are very, _very_ naïve. There are very few things that a vampire would or would not do, given the proper leverage. Of course, Draculae seems like the prime candidate to stand by in such a war. He is, to say the least, an intimidating figure head. Such beings draw support to themselves with ease. This is, at least, obvious from our ever growing numbers."

"So why are you telling me this?" Seras asked stonily.

"Surely you must know, whether he has told you or not, that you are nothing short of precious to Draculae. He forcibly entrusted me with your safety, and as I deem the present situation as dangerous, I would prefer if you remained in the castle until his return, preferably in the company of at least one other woman."

"You_must_ be joking," Seras snapped, firing up at once.

"I wish I were," Sigismund replied. "Unfortunately, humor seems to be a gene that surpassed my bloodline. I confess that I want you alive almost as much as your mate does. He is better now; saner. It is difficult to follow a madman loyally. But you... you seem to ground him. Apart from this, should any harm come to you, I would be the first to pay."

"But he told me to train the fledglings," Seras said defensively.

"This is only temporary. They will learn under Lazarević for a time, and then, when Vlad returns, he will give further instructions."

"May I help Lazarević?" Seras asked quickly. "I know Alu- er, Vlad felt that he was having difficultie being patient with them. I'm not the most experienced of vampires, but I know more than the fledglings."

"Yes, I suppose that would be alright," Sigismund agreed after a moment's thought. "Just... be warned, Lazarević is not exactly... easy going. He has a swift temper."

"I'll be careful," Seras promised.

"What I said about having a female with you at all times still stands," Sigismund added. "My wife, Barbara, seemed somewhat taken to you when she met you several months ago, and I believe she would be happy to help, and you have my permission."

"If she is willing..." Seras said hesitantly.

Barbara appeared in the center of the room (sitting on the large table), and looking quite as radiant as ever. She had such a motherly grace about her, and her smile was gentle, yet commanding and wise.

"You called, my love?" she asked, gazing adoringly at her mate.

"Yes, I have a special request for you, Barbara."

Barbara glanced back at Seras, who tried to keep the resentment out of her gaze, disliking having a constant bodyguard. And when Barbara smiled genuinely at her, she found herself smiling back as honestly as was possible under the circumstances.

"My dear, I was hoping that you would be a companion to our Draculina until her mate returns from his trip."

"I would be honored, my lady," Barbara said respectfully.

"Um, please, call me Seras."

"Vlad was fairly specific about greeting you properly," Sigismund told her.

"Yes, I know," Seras grumbled. "but he is not here right now, and he will never know. When he returns, you may continue to call me Lady Draculae, or whatever else he deems suitable. As Vlad's queen, I was informed that I at least have control over the females, and surely such a trivial matter as a name is not cause for punishment, at least not to anyone but myself. Lord Sigismund, I have no control over you, but I still strongly request that you both call me Seras. Call me Lady Seras if you must."

"Very well, Seras," Barbara agreed.

"I suppose Lady Seras is not _too_ much of a stretch," Sigismund decided. "Very well. I have already instructed Pipo to fetch Lazarević and share with him my orders. The fledglings are still waiting in the entrance hall. You two may accompany them to the catacombs where you will continue your lessons."

"Thank you," Seras said quickly.

Barbara slid down from the table, her skirts pooling elegantly around her as she walked to the door. They felt Sigismund's barrier evaporate before proceeding. The fledglings glanced at her curiously.

A man had been standing and speaking with them. He looked up when they entered, his eyes narrowing.

Seras stepped forward to introduce herself. "Lazarević?" she asked, approaching him.

"Yes," he replied coldly. "And you must be Seras Victoria."

"I am," she conceded, in an equally stiff manner. "I'm to help you in your continued training of the fledglings."

He scowled. "You should not have been placed in charge of them to begin with! One fledgling teaching fifty! Oh, no partiality on Draculae's part at all, that's for certain!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Seras said sarcastically. "I'd forgotten _you_ knew how to shoot a gun. Do you not think that there might have been a reason for his actions? I am not here to tell you how to teach the fledglings, merely to aid and supervise, and perhaps to learn a thing or two myself."

"Women should not be educated in the affairs of men," Lazarević replied with a glare.

"Forgive me, but we are living in a different era. I was trained as a servant of the government, and then as a vampire hunter. I combated regenerators, ghouls, midians, lycans and men alike. I am the pupil of Lord Draculae, a legend among the dead _and_ the living. I _am_ capable, and if I was not carrying a child, I assure you, I would be a part of this war. Do not underestimate me because of my sex. I was created to be a weapon, and I have seen my future as a true nosferatu."

Lazarević shrugged in annoyance. "You'll do as I say, or I'll have you sent from the room."

"Thank you," Seras said, trying not to frown too openly. "Barbara would like to accompany me as well."

"_Two_ women?!" Lazarević roared. "Well, you're a sneaky chit, aren't you?! THIS is why I never married! Damn women."

"Lazarević!" Sigismund snapped, having just entered the room to figure out what all the commotion was about. "Might I remind you who you are talking to?"

"Feel free, it won't make a difference," Lazarević retorted, eying Seras with dislike.

"It's alright," Seras cut in. "He can talk to me any way he wants."

"Oh, not going to hide behind the shadow of your mate?" Lazarević taunted cruelly.

Seras sighed. "I no more like hiding behind that shadow than you like having me hidden behind it."

"Easy thing to say for someone who gets the protection regardless. Even if you don't repeat what I say, do you think Sigismund won't?"

"If you have anything to say to me that you choose not to say because you are afraid of Draculae, then we can go somewhere private."

Lazarević laughed harshly. "Are you _asking_ me to insult you?"

"Well, you seem to really want to, so I was trying to make it easier," she said simply.

He raised his eyebrows, huffed a little, and turned on his heel, walking across the hall. The fledglings followed uneasily, with Seras and Barbara at the back, smiling apologetically to an annoyed Sigismund.

Lazarević led them towards the staircase, and then through a door that was concealed behind it.

_So that's where it was..._ she thought in annoyance, following the last of the fledglings down the narrow, winding staircase that led to the catacombs. When she and Barbara finally reached the bottom, Lazarević was already speaking, but not to the fledglings.

Seras quickly realized that the catacombs were filled with vampire refugees that Lazarević was trying to evacuate so that they could practice. He, unfortunately, wasn't having much luck, because this particular clan didn't speak Romanian; they spoke English.

Seras rushed forward eagerly to be of assistance. "Let me handle this," she said to Lazarević.

"Let_you_ handle it?" he repeated angrily.

She ignored him and spoke to the vampire Lazarević had been speaking to. "Who is the head?" she asked him in english.

"That would be me," he said in a thick London accent. His short hair was dyed red and combed over his left eye, his clothes black and goth in style. His companions were all fairly similar in appearance, which must have alarmed the draconists.

"I had no idea there was a clan this size in England," she said doubtfully. "Right under Hellsing's nose..."

"We were very cautious," he replied. "Alucard turned a blind eye to us since his master was unaware of our existance. Besides, those chipped vampires gave you more than enough to worry about."

"True," Seras agreed with a smile.

"You're Seras Victoria, aren't you?" he said, his eyes resting her Harkonnen. "I recognize that cannon of yours. We tell the little ones stories about it to get them to behave."

Seras laughed outright at this. "Well that's one way to remember me."

"You gained enough fame just by being associated with Alucard."

Lazarević cleared his throat impatiently, obviously annoyed with the way Seras was carrying on a pleasant conversation.

"Right, well, we need to train the fledglings," Seras said. "We just need you guys to move for a bit while we practice. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's fine," he said, glancing at his clan, who had already begun to pack up their things.

"Thanks," Seras said, before turning back to Lazarević and saying in Romanian, "No need to get so impatient. It's not everyday that I meet someone who actually knows what electricity is."

"What..._what_?" Lazarević said staring at her as if she had sprouted an extra head.

"Never mind," she muttered. "They're leaving anyway, so try a little gratitude for a change. If I wasn't here you'd be drawing pictures in the dirt to explain what you wanted them to do."

"Don't be stupid," Lazarević retorted. "I'd have created a mental connection."

"If he allowed it..." Seras reminded him. "But you were being so rude, I doubt he would have."

The last of the refugees left the room, proceeding down a door that Seras could only assume led to the underground tunnels Alucard had spoken of.

"There, the rooms empty," Seras said waspishly. "Get on with your lesson, Lord Lazarević, or I will do it for you."

Lazarević began by continuing what seemed to be an unfinished lesson in phasing. Most of the fledglings were already able, but a few had problems with getting stuck halfway through. Seras and Barbara were able to aid in the lesson.

After a few hours, every fledgling could successfully phase through any given object. Lazarević called the lesson to an end and dismissed the fledglings to their rooms. Seras and Barbara hurried to follow (not wanting to be at the other end of one of Lazarević's temper tantrums) and were soon after walking up the stairs to the second story.

"We have quite some time before dawn," Barbara said conversationally. "Would you care to join me and the ladies?"

"Um, certainly," Seras said hastily. "I've always wondered what it is you guys do with your free time."

Barbara smiled serenely. "What does any group of women do when left alone?"

"Barbara," Seras said, laughing. "I haven't had female friends since I was seventeen. Although women _do_ fight for the government, it is a much smaller percentage than men. My entire team as a human was male, and then when I served Hellsing, the only other female even _allowed_ in the building was Sir Integral."

"Well, we shall have to remedy that," Barbara said decisively. "If you are to spend your entire life in our company, you should learn to be a part of the other vampiresses culture."

She phased through a wall, and Seras hastily followed, stumbling backwards when she saw what was inside. All the vampiresses were lazing about on scattered pillows or cushioned chairs surrounding a large pool. The first thing to cross through her head was the word 'harem'.

"Seras!"

Danuta had leaped up from the ground and hurried to the newcomers.

"I had hoped to see you sooner, but I suppose Lord Draculae kept you rather busy," she said, smiling suggestively.

Seras began to turn red. "Look at her blushing!" called a woman with ankle length black hair who Seras knew by sight, but not by name.

"Margarete," Barbara scolded.

"It's fine," Seras said, forcing a laugh. "If I'm going to blush like an idiot, I suppose it only makes sense for me to be teased like one, too. Your name is Margarete...?" she said to the vampiress.

"Yes, I am Lord Earnst's first wife," she said cheerfully. "His second wife is Cymburgis." She gestured to a brunette who smiled shyly, but otherwise tried to appear nonexistant. "Oh, don't be anti-social, Cymbi!" Margarete said forcibly.

"P-pleasure to meet you," Cymbi murmured, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"She's just shy," Margarete said dismissively. "Let's see... who else don't you know?"

The next hour was spent introducing Seras to all the various vampiresses. She was certain she wouldn't remember half the names, but she listened patiently nonetheless and tried to remain diplomatic and polite. At last, Barbara cut in.

"Seras, would you like a bath?"

"I thought vampires don't need to bath," Seras said doubtfully.

"It is still rather relaxing after a stressful day," Barbara replied warmly.

Seras shook her head, smiling. "Is it that obvious that I'm overtired? I suppose I'm just worried about Alu- Vlad. Especially after what Lord Sigismund said."

Barbara patted her back reassuringly. "Lord Vlad is the last person you will ever have to worry about. I heard about his fight with Radu. Sigismund said Radu cut his head off and he was fine."

Seras shrugged. "He's seen worse, though I was surprised Radu even managed to do as much damage. He must have been distracted or something."

The vampiresses exchanged whispers of interest and wonder.

"What's it like to be his mate?" one girl asked boldly.

"I'm sure it's the same for me as it is for any of you," Seras pointed out, laughing nervously.

The girl shook her head. "Lord Vlad is not like any of the others. My husband swears he's insane. And I've heard he can kill a hundred men in one move."

"Well, I can't really disagree with any of that," Seras decided. "So what do you want me to say? A mate is a mate. We talk, we have sex and we care about each other. It's the same for anyone."

The girls giggled at Seras' remark.

_And I thought _I_acted like a virgin,_ Seras thought with a smirk.

"What's this?" another girl asked, examining Seras' abandonned Harkonnen.

"It's a gun," Seras replied. "I'm sure you've seen the fledglings using them?"

"Thiers aren't like yours," Danuta put in. "What would you do with something that big?"

"Kill vampires," Seras said simply. The vampiresses shrank backwards as one. Seras grinned and continued, "It uses explosive silver bullets, like Vlad's guns. I haven't had a chance to use it in a while, which is a little disappointing. Not that I was planning on shooting any of you, or anything, but some of those fledglings are_far_ too loose with their thoughts."

They chuckled, and moved forward again. Seras seemed to be something of an idol to them, and she spent the night answering awkward questions about her relationship with Alucard, or telling stories about his mischievous side back at Hellsing.

When dawn was approaching, she feigned exhaustion and retired for the day, but with very little intention of sleeping.

-

"I thought you weren't going to come back," Sandru said when he saw her approaching. He could barely keep the smile from his lips.

"Sigismund is being overly protective," Seras complained. "We're training the fledglings inside now, at least until Alucard gets back. It's been barely an evening and I already miss him."

"Where'd he go anyway?" Sandru asked curiously.

"I'm not really supposed to talk about it," Seras replied quietly. "Especially not with so many people around." She stared suspiciously around the werewolf camp.

"It's getting light," Sandru observed. "Are you going to be alright like that?"

Seras, who was dressed in pants and a long black trench coat, reached into her pocket and withdrew an umbrella and popped it open. "I won't stay out long, but this is the only time I can sneak out. Barbara and Sigismund went to bed, so they won't notice that I'm missing. Afterall, who expect a vampire to sneak out in the middle of the day?"

"Apparantly anyone who's met you," he said with a laugh. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure."

They wandered around for an hour or so, talking and joking casually as they always did. After a time, however, Sandru suddenly became very serious. "Seras, I have something to tell you, something that I can't say within hearing distance of the camp. Do you mind if we walk towards the trees, or do you think that's too dangerous?"

"You'll protect me, right?" she teased.

"Like you need protecting," he retorted. "I've seen you fight, and all I can say is I'm glad I'm on your good side."

Seras laughed. "What is it you want to talk to me about?"

"Remember, Ser, we're werewolves, and we're still within hearing distance," Sandru said. "I saw Daciana's face when we walked off together. She thinks I'm going to confess my love for you or something, so she's probably listening closely."

Seras waited until they had entered the shelter of the trees to ask again. "What was it you wanted to say, Sandru?"

"I wanted to apologize," he said.

Seras opened her mouth to say, "apologize for what?" but the words never came. A searing pain ripped through her shoulder, followed by another just below her kneecap. The world pulsed. The pain continued to erupt in various parts of her body while her vision spun.

"Don't hit the heart or stomach," a voice was saying fiercely.

She caught one final glimpse of Sandru, standing over her limp form.

"Sandru...?" she whispered.

"Like I said, I'm sorry, Seras," he replied.

And then everything went black.

-

Ok, so seriously... who saw that coming? Radu a traitor? Maybe. Sandru a traitor?! Muahaha, I'm pretty sure it came out of nowhere... Happy New Years everyone! Review!!! XD XD XD


	16. Treachery Unwinds

So, for some reason, the words just started flowing naturally again... another update! I'm so proud of myself... maybe I'm actually good at this New Years Resolution thing (though my grades will be the judge of that). Anyway, I'll clear a whole bunch of questions in this chapter. The only one that I'm not answering (which I will answer eventually) is why Seras isn't increasing in size... it's not like a huge plot twist or anything, just a random piece of vampire pregnancies I haven't had the opportunity to share with you. R&R!

-

A faint wind blew through the trees, spinning the forgotten black umbrella in circles on the grass. Alucard watched it, knowing what it meant. He struggled to keep his face straight; part of him wanted to destroy everyone in the vicinity. Part of him want to die. But they would never know this. He was Alucard, afterall, and such emotions were never to be shown. He tried to shut his feelings out, trying to approach the situation logically.

"Where is the wolf?" he said after a time.

An audible sigh rose up at his words. They had been standing there for a solid fifteen minutes, no one daring to move.

"He's been detained," Sigismund informed him. "He says his orders are to speak to no one but you."

"Bring him," Alucard said; his voice was so calm it sent shivers up the spines of the draconists, all of whom were standing a few feet behind him, exchanging nervous glances.

Sigismund vanished and reappeared a few minutes later, the traitorous wolf lying at his feet, bound with ropes.

"Take off his bindings," Alucard instructed.

Sigismund met his eyes with alarm. Alucard did not flinch. Sighing, Sigismund did as he was told, untying the traitor and pulling him to his feet.

"What is your message?" Alucard asked, speaking only to the wolf.

"Your bride and your child are generally unharmed. They are currently residing in southern Italy, heavily drugged and within a barrier, awaiting your rescue. You have twenty-four hours before we kill them."

Alucard had been expecting something like that. A distraction to lure him away from the castle, perhaps to detain and kill him. He approached the werewolf and stared into his eyes. Sandru began to quiver, and with a gasp, he plummeted to the ground, unconscious.

"Let him go," Alucard said. "These actions were not his own."

"My lord, we found no traces of hypnosis when we interrogated him," Sigismund replied firmly.

Alucard raised an eyebrow at him. "This was a particularly powerful brand of hypnosis. It was admirable work, if you want to approach it that way, and I'm quite impressed with how my brother's skills have progressed without my knowing, though he was always very talented when it came to mind games. A family trait, perhaps... regardless, he engineered this trap with what knowledge he had of my wife with the intent that I would go to rescue her and then Castle Draculae could be attacked in the meanwhile."

"You should go," Sigismund said quickly.

"You should stay," Lazarević retorted. "There will be others. It will take centuries to rebuild an empire like ours though."

"There is no need for your jealousy, Lazarević," Alucard said coldly. "Or your idealism, Sigismund. I will deal with this how I see fit, but for now, let us move indoors, where we have less of a chance of being overheard."

-

Seras coughed. She felt the blood spurt from her mouth and dribble down her chin. The first thing to cross her mind was, _where am I?_ The second stirred up far stronger emotions.

_Cosmin?_ She thought desperately. _Are you unharmed?_

_Quite, Mother. Though my pride is a little damaged..._

_You didn't warn me._

_I was asleep, as you should have been. Remember, Mother, I am only an infant._

"Good morning, Chiajna."

Seras stiffened as her eyes adjusted to the blackness. She began to take in her surroundings: an empty, stone room with only one door.

_Alucard!_ she thought quickly. _Alucard, can you hear me?_

"It's no use."

Seras looked up and saw Radu leaning against the wall in front of her, his crimson eyes glowing in the dark.

"Traitor!" she spat, glaring at him.

"Of sorts," he agreed. "Though how traitorous can you get when you've already been banned? That aside, I'm as much a prisoner here as you are. I wanted out of this war. But fate, it seems, has a mind of its own." He smiled and pushed off of the wall, approaching her. "Though I won't object to being stuck alone in a room with you."

Seras hissed at him, to keep him at bay, but she was very weak. Radu bent over her and began to examine her wounds.

"I can extra the poison for you," he said quietly.

"You'll get in trouble."

"I was instructed to 'watch over her and prevent her escape'. No one ever said I couldn't heal you. You look like you're in pain."

"I don't understand..."

"Of course you don't. You're hopelessly naïve. But like I said, I never wanted to hurt you in the first place. Seems the agency took a leaf out of Hellsings book (literally, I saw they confiscated the writing of Abraham Van Hellsing) and bound me to a bloodline. I only met my actual master once. He told me to take orders from some priest."

"Well, at least that's one less traitor in the world," Seras sighed, thinking of Sandru.

"He was hypnotized. Your werewolf... it was me who did it, under orders, of course. He's probably dead now. Vlad isn't happy, and I doubt if he was able to recognize my hypnosis."

Seras let out a dry sob. She was ecstatic that Sandru was _not_ a traitor, but at the same time, grieved to find out he was dead, and at the hands of her mate, no less. She went limp against the wall.

"Why am I even here?" she asked weakly.

"It was all part of an elaborate scheme to draw Vlad away from the castle so that we could attack in his absence. I was, of course, a key component in this scheme. I was able to lure him away: but you! With you, he might actually knowingly abandon his men in a time of need. You are quite a gift to your husband's enemies, Seras."

"He won't come for me," Seras said firmly.

"He has no choice. At this point you only have seventeen hours left to live."

"He won't come for me," Seras repeated, more to convince herself than Radu. _I need to find a way out of here, _she told herself.

"It's useless," Radu said. "Every thought you have is absorbed by my barrier. Vlad cannot hear you, and you cannot create a plan without me hearing you. Sit back, relax, and let things unfold. Vlad is probably creating a brilliant rescue plan right now."

"You sound hopeful," she observed.

"I'd rather see you live than die."

"What a thoughtful sentiment from the person who captured me and turned me over to the enemy."

"You know I had no choice," Radu snapped. "You have seen this magic at work. Could Vlad resist his master's call? I think not. I can finally sympathize with him, knowing what it is to be the lapdog of a human. Degrading, disgusting, and yet, you can never question it."

"Will you fight in the war?"

"I will _die_ in the war," Redu replied darkly. "My master will pit me against a vampire whom I have no hope of beating, no doubt. I am capable in some areas, but my close combat skills have always been below those of the other draconists. Though, they are still well above yours, so don't go getting any ideas. Like I said, I don't want to kill you."

"Vlad won't let them kill you. I'll tell him what happened: he'll understand," Seras insisted.

"You are too good natured to be a vampire," Radu laughed. "You and my brother make quite a pair! Like 'beauty and the beast'."

Seras laughed with him. "I suppose we are a little oddly matched, but that's more my fault than his. I'm the one who acts like a saint when I should be a demon."

"There's no shame in being good," Radu pointed out.

"Unless you're a vampire," Seras replied.

"The world is made of all different kinds of people," Radu said. "Vampires are no different- we come in all different forms."

"R-Radu..." she murmured gratefully, smiling at him. She watched with interest as a faint blush spread across his cheeks.

_Perfect._The voice was her son's, speaking into his thoughts as he occasionally did. _Mother, whatever you do, do not respond to what I am about to tell you. _Cosmin paused, to ensure she was not going to speak. Then continued, _there is still a way out of this, a way that only you could take. Our only hope is to make Radu drop the barrier. I suggest using your feminine charms..._

He fell silent. Seras struggled to keep her thoughts hidden, or rather not to dwell on them: it proved to be a very difficult task.

_Mother, create a barrier around your mind, like me. He cannot hear me because I have protected myself. You must do the same. In fact, I will help you, just this once. There, you may think freely now, but he will notice the loss of your thoughts. He is already suspicious, but he chooses to turn a blind eye because he likes you. Make it worse. Distract him!_

_Distract him?_ Seras repeated, thinking hard. _By using my feminine charms..._

Of course! Inspiration struck, with Radu still standing over her, watching her intently.

"Radu," she said, feigning embarrassment. "I know this is unorthodox, but you said you wouldn't mind helping me heal. I seem to be having a hard time regenerating. You said there was poison?"

"I can draw it out for you," he said quickly. "Where are the bullet wounds?"

"Well there's one here," she said gesturing to her knee.

Radu knelt in front of her, surveying the damage. He then pressed his lips to it, dipping his tongue into the torn flesh and sucking. The healing powers of his saliva began to work instantly, and soon the wound was no more.

"There's another one here," she said, pointing to the inside of her thigh. She watched with pleasure as Radu's eyes widened eagerly.

He coughed, and said, "Your pants are getting in the way."

"Oh, I can take them off," she said helpfully. He was making this too easy. The pants vanished, revealing her long, muscled legs, pale and slender. Radu stared openly, his gaze traveling from her ankles to the lacy black underwear (which she had conjured the moment she had formulated her plan.) Fresh blood glistened on her ivory skin, no doubted tempting her captor all the more. He leaned forward and once again and brushed his tongue over her wound, probably trying to ignore the fact that he was positioned in between her legs.

But she couldn't let him ignore it. She let out a deliberate, faint moan, enjoying the feeling of his hands tightening convulsively on her knees. He sat up slowly, breathing hard.

"Any more?" he asked anxiously, his eyes hungrily running up and down her body.

"Two on my upper body," she replied. She reached up to unbutton her shirt rather than just making it vanish. Teasing was more effective than outright seduction. Beneath it she wore only a bra, black and lacy like her panties. Of course, such things were after Radu's time, but a man was a man no matter what era.

Her pale stomach, also red with blood, came into view between the two edges of her shirt. Radu leaned forward to lap up the blood and then to lick at the wound just below her ribcage. His hands subconsciously gripped her hips. Seras 'accidentally' brushed her legs against his sides, and 'by mistake' entangled her fingers in his hair.

She heard him moan lightly. He seemed to be losing himself in the moment.

_The barrier is flickering, _Cosmin stated. _You are doing well, Mother._

Seras threw in a few moans of her own and even arched her back once. Cosmin said that the barrier almost shut down when she did that.

_Then to shut it off completely..._ she thought wickedly.

"I have one more," she said, pushing off the sleeve of her shirt to reveal a beautiful, bare shoulder. The bullet wound, quite conveniently, was close to her breast. Radu, instantly spying its location, dove down on it, sucking hungrily as he healed the wound. But this time when he finished, he did not draw back. His lips dropped to the valley of her breasts as he shifted closer.

_Almost there, _Cosmin told her.

Seras reacted quickly. She threw Radu backwards against the stone ground, straddling him, the strap of her bra hanging off her shoulder and her breasts pressed together by her forearms seductively. Radu couldn't take his eyes off her. She grinned down at him and leaned her face to his, her lips hovering just centimeters above his...

In an instant, the barrier was gone. And so was she.

Radu sat up, blinking in surprise. Slowly, he began to realize what she'd done, but rather than going after her, he sat on the floor laughing.

"They said keep her here," he told himself. "But no one said what to do if she escaped. Well, I suppose it's out of my hands..."

Meanwhile, Seras was sprinting down an abandoned hall (still in nothing more than her underwear and her open shirt) praying she wouldn't run into anyone. Yeah right. She collided with some guards as she rounded the corner, and having the element of surprise, was able to kill them swiftly. She proceeded, up a flight of stairs, through a wall, through the ceiling and through another wall. Fortunately, no one else spotted her. She had a feeling that the building was more protected from the outside than from the inside.

When she spotted a window, she quickly dashed for it, believing it would be a way out. But as she reached for it, there was a flash like lightning and a sharp, searing pain burnt through her body.

"What the hell...?" she hissed, wincing and leaping back.

_A holy barrier, _Cosmin said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I know what it is!" she retorted in annoyance. "I've seen then before- and I always seem to be _this _close to death when I come into contact with them."

_Well, that's to be expected, isn't it, Mother?_ Cosmin said in exasperation. _Priests are the only beings who can create them, and they don't usually get along with vampires, do they? So if you're in contact with a priest who creates anti-midian barriers, I think it would be safe to assume that he's not your friend._

"You're starting to sound like your father," she said, rolling her eyes.

_I'll take that as a compliment._

"Don't."

_Stop speaking aloud. You're drawing attention to yourself, _Cosmin said sternly.

_Fine,_she said mentally, huffing a little. _So what do you propose for getting around this? Or are you suggesting that I use the front doors? I'm sure the guards wouldn't mind at all..._

_Too dangerous,_ Cosmin said simply.

_Then what do I do? s_he asked impatiently.

_Call Father, of course, _Cosmin said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world._ You are no longer inside a barrier that shields your thoughts. And I have taken down my own barrier as well. He will hear you now._

_What about Radu, _Seras inquired anxiously. _Will he be able to hear, too?_

_His masters failed to instruct him to chase you. He is not a threat._

_Alright, I'll try. Alucard, _she thought. _Alucard, are you there?_

_Seras,_ she heard him breath into her mind. He sounded surprised.

_I'm here,_ she said quickly. _I broke free of Radu, but I'm stuck in this building._

_I'm standing outside._

_What?!_ She cried in alarm. _What about the war?!_

_Don't move._

_Wha-? s_he began to say, but a loud bang echoed through the hall. Light was pouring through a small whole in the wall, one that was made from a very large bullet. Unfortunately, the gunshot was drawing attention to her. Several guards were rushing down the hall, shouting commands in Italian.

_Hurry, Alucard,_ Seras thought fervently as they drew closer. She readied herself for a fight. Fortunately, however, Alucard's bullets began to pierce the oncoming humans as he shot again and again until there was a hole big enough for her to crawl through in the wall. Seras quickly clambered through and jumped out into the late afternoon sun. There was a rush of wind, the feeling of strong arms around her and suddenly she was standing in a shadowed ally way staring up at Alucard.

She let out a deep breath that she didn't know she had been holding as she stared up at him. His eyes were locked on hers, his gaze as intense as it had ever been.

"That was a rush," she murmured. "If I had a working heart, I think it would have exploded by now."

"I tend to have that effect on people," he said, smirking.

Seras leaned into his chest, grinning. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see you," she said warmly, putting her arms around his waist before adding, "Even if you are a self-satisfied bastard."

"And I'm glad to see you, even if you are a naïve, idealistic idiot," he replied, holding her to him. "Although, I'll admit I'm somewhat proud of you. I thought I would have to come in and rescue you. This saves time. A lot of time. There are a few things that Radu excels at. Mind control and barriers. I could sense his barrier when I approached, but I might never have been able to tear it down. Theoretically, I would have had to find his master and destroy his entire blood line."

"You knew he was under the control of a human?" Seras said in shock.

"I spent too long serving Hellsing not to recognize it. I could smell it in his blood when we fought. In addition to this, it was out of character for him to behave that way, particularly in jeopardizing your life. As much as I dislike the idea, he is _very_ attached to you. How _did_ you get him to let down his barrier?"

Seras flushed, wondering if her mate would be mad. She decided to show him the memory, knowing words would be insufficient. Alucard read her mind in silence, his hands tightening possessively around her waist with each passing moment. But when it ended, and he watched her vanish, and saw Radu sitting on the floor laughing, he began to smile darkly.

"I would never have believed you capable," he said tormentingly, fingering the collar of her shirt. "Although it does explain the appealing outfit. You weren't wearing this when I left you..." he said, sliding his hand beneath the back of the bra as if he meant to unclasp it.

"Obviously not," she said, knocking his arm away. "I wasn't trying to seduce you."

"And why is that?" he asked, grabbing at her again.

She caught his hand and entwined her fingers with it. "Because you have more important things to think about. If you need me, I'm there, but I don't want to distract you when there are so many people counting on you."

"I prefer you when your selfish," he said, kissing the hand that he held in his. "But that generally goes against your nature."

He leaned in to kiss her, but Seras, neither paying attention or thinking, ruined the mood by saying, "Shouldn't we be at home?"

Alucard scowled. "They have not yet begun to fight. We have a few minutes."

He leaned in again, but Seras, still oblivious, looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean 'begun to fight'? Are we already under attack?"

"Of course we are under attack," he said impatiently. "The purpose of kidnapping you was to draw me away from the fight. Foolish idea. Even in my absence, the draconists could easily defend and manage the castle. They were chosen for a reason. As long as I am there before the charge, it will be fine. Now hold still."

"Hold still...?" Seras repeated in confusion.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and backed her into the ally wall. "Yes, hold still and let me enjoy a few minutes alone with you before I lead an army to war."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he quickly silenced her with a heated kiss. Surprised though she was, she still melted into him in seconds, thinking somewhere in the back of her mind that she should put on a less revealing outfit before they got carried away.

-

Sigismund drummed his fingers on the desk, staring out the window at the sinking sun.

"You'll do fine," Barbara said warmly, placing her hand over his.

"I do not compare to Vlad," Sigismund said with a shake of the head. "These men came to follow Draculae, not his second in command."

"You were once the leader of the draconists," Barbara reminded him.

"That was a long time ago," Sigismund replied doubtfully. "And further more, things have changed greatly since then. When I was in command, we would never have dreamt of a head-on war. We were a secret organization hidden and protected by the folds of royalty. The days of kings have ended. The monarchy must be rebuilt, but it offers us no comfort in the midst of war."

"It's almost dusk," she said quietly. "You should say something to the men. Remind them of what they are fighting for. At least talk to the draconists."

"Very well," Sigismund conceded. "Have Pipo send them in; the draconists, that is. I don't know what to say to the rest of them.

Barbara left the room, allowing Sigismund a few moments of silence. His eyes remained glued to the crimson skyline even as the draconists began piling in. There were twelve in total, including himself. When they were all seated, waiting patiently, he turned to them, his expression solemn.

"Draculae's orders were specific: if he had not returned by sundown, we were to proceed without him," Sigismund informed them, looking intently into each face. "But do not forget who we are, or why we stand as one. We are the Order of the Dragon, and we will not be swayed by any man or beast.

"Remember the creed: From the chaos there is order. From the order, there is the Dragon. With the Dragon there is victory."

"Hail victory!" the draconists chorused. "Hail the Dragon!"

"We are the mist,

We are the dark,

We are the nightmares of man," Sigismund continued.

"Hail victory! Hail the Dragon!"

"The predators,

The haters,

The bringers of evil."

"Hail victory! Hail the Dragon!"

"From our altars of flesh,

We invoke chaos and flames.

From our book of shadows

We control the elements," Sigismund said, the blood pounding in his veins.

The draconists faithfully repeated: "Hail victory! Hail the Dragon!"

"We are the legions of doom."

Every head in room whipped around, for it was not Sigismund who had spoken, but a deep, velvety voice from the doors. Alucard smirked at their reaction to his sudden arrival and continued,

"Lurkers in the abyss.

That which is, unknown."

"Hail victory!" the draconists boomed with more spirit than ever. "Hail the Dragon!"

"We are the Order of the Dragon," Alucard finished decisively. "And we will not lose. I apologize for my late arrival, but I am pleased to say that my mission proved successful, much to the credit of my bride. Had she not broken Radu's barrier, I may not have returned in time. Further more, on that subject, Radu has not turned traitor to us. He has been enslaved to a human bloodline by magic that is beyond his power to break. When this war has ended, if he survives, we will destroy his masters and reinstate him as a member of the council."

There were murmurs of surprise and agreement at his words. Alucard went on, "I take it the troops have been prepared and organized as I instructed?"

"We await your orders," Sigismund said, positively beaming at the prospect of getting to follow orders instead of giving them.

Alucard nodded once. "Make sure they are ready at the exits. Iscariot stands at our gates, begging for death. And when the last of the sun's rays descend, we will be only too happy to oblige."

-

If you're wondering about that random creed I threw in there, there's some sort of occult group that calls themselves the 'Order of the Dragon' and I accidentally stumbled upon their home page and thought it was kinda a cool introduction, and it reminded me of vampires. I cut out a few verses, but there you go... I don't take credit for it or anything. Review!


	17. As Hell Unfolds

Wow, so I know this is kinda coming outta nowhere since I abandoned this story for so long, but it suddenly occurred to me that since it DID have such a large fan-base, I owed it to you all to finish it. I DO intend to finish it (it's only a few more chapters after all), and I hope you'll accept my apology for running off for so long! If you must know, the truth is I got very sensitive about my writing randomly and suddenly didn't think it was worth finishing. Stupid, right? I have a new theory now - as long as someone somewhere is enjoying it, it's always worth finishing. I also apologize for any inconsistencies with this story and the anime/manga. I know there are many, but I hadn't read that far into the manga when I started this story, and I'm going to finish it under the same bounds I began it with. Enjoy! X

"Seras! You're alright!"

Seras abruptly found herself surrounded by a group of eager, chattering vampiresses, all begging to hear her story. She was grateful that she had had the good sense to put on a slightly less revealing outfit before allowing Alucard to bring her home. Basically, they had come through the doors, he dumped her in a crowd of excited women and then darted off to the meeting room to consult with his followers.

"Did Vlad rescue you? That's so romantic!"

"I'm so glad you're okay..."

"We were all really worried!"

"Did they hurt you?"

"Tell us how it happened..."

"Not now," Seras said firmly, ignoring all their questions. "We are on the brink of battle, in case you forgot, and therefore have work to do. We need to move into the catacombs for our own safety. Wait for me here, and then we can head down together. I just need to grab my gun..."

Seras left them (all a little startled by her general-like manner, but not unwilling to do as she said) and turned without another word, rushing up to her room and retrieving her Harkonnen as well as an ample supply of ammunition. She darted back down the hall and sighed at the scene that met her eyes.

_I turn my back for thirty seconds..._

The draconists had emerged from the meeting room, and it seemed as though Alucard had made a side trip to pick up a certain elderly gentleman. The trouble, of course, is that the vampires wanted to eat him, and Alucard wouldn't let them. Walter stood calmly at Alucard's side, not even remotely afraid of his present situation. A few of the draconists were complaining that Alucard had gone soft from spending so much time with humans.

Seras trotted down the stairs to stand beside her mate and his charge glancing curiously from one to the other.

"Alucard, you're not going to have Walter fight, are you?" she asked doubtfully.

"He will be going with you and the ladies as extra protection," Alucard replied.

"Extra protection from a _human?!_" Lazarević snapped. "First the wench, now a human? What the hell happened to you?!"

Seras outright glared at him. What did he have against her anyway? Feeling Alucard tense beside her, she slipped her hand in his and murmured, "Don't worry about it. There'll be plenty of time to remedy this once the war is over."

Alucard smiled briefly at her before adressing his draconists once again in a voice like ice, "There is no room for skepticism in this army. So long as I am lord here you will do exactly as I say; any man who questions me, faces the consequences. Don't like it? Leave. I will win this war on my own if I have to, but I will _not_ tolerate disloyalty."

He looked dangerously from one face to the next, as if daring someone to speak out. No one did, of course, valuing their lives and their positions in Alucard's inner circle.

"Very well," he said after a long, uncomfortable (for the others) pause. "You have five minutes before we leave. Do with it what you will."

The draconists dispersed seeking out their wives. Seras saw Vytautus surrounded by his three brides, all hanging on some various part of him, clamoring compliments and wishes of health. Sigismund and Barbara were wrapped up in each other saying nothing. A few feet away from all the others stood Lazarević, looking as broody as ever.

At last her eyes fell on Alucard, who was saying something in a low voice to Walter. She did not begrudge him for not giving her attention like the other men gave to their wives. They had shared a very intensely romantic interlude in that ally way in Italy. Yet, she still wished he would at _least _say good-bye to her...

"Seras," Alucard said, addressing her at last.

"Yes?" she replied, glancing from him to Walter.

"I want you to take care to watch over Walter. Fear makes vampires irrational at times. It will be your job to keep the vampiresses calm and away from him."

"Of course," Seras said obediently.

"Do you recall what I said to do if you are, by some impossible coincidence, attacked?"

"Call for you."

"Good," he said, staring down at her intently. "Do not try to be noble."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she said, smiling. "But I can't help hoping we _will_ get attacked."

"I had no idea you missed me so much when I was away," he smirked.

Seras glared. "I miss _fighting_, Alucard. You I see daily."

He chuckled. "Forgive me if I do my best to keep the war from you. Sometime, when you are not with child, I will fight you myself to make up for it."

Seras moved to him and laid her head on his chest, saying softly, "Be careful."

"You are not seriously worrying about me," he said in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't help it- I know you are very capable, but Iscariot knows what you are capable of as well. If they attempt to kill you, they will have something particular in mind."

"They can have nothing in mind," Alucard said firmly. "I _cannot_ die."

"_Cannot_?" Seras repeated, a little awed. "No matter what?"

"Not even if I wanted to," he assured her.

"_Do_ you want to?" she asked.

"Not at the moment," he replied truthfully. "And perhaps never again."

He wrapped an arm around her waist, placing his free hand beneath her chin and tilting it upwards towards him. Walter, by this point, was looking pointedly in another direction, a mixture of emotions (surprise, intrigue and disgust) running through his mind.

At the moment, the only thing Seras felt was frustration. Why did Alucard have to be so tall? She wanted desperately to close the distance between them, but for some reason, he only seemed interested in staring at her. She wondered briefly if he could sense her disappointment, and if he was doing it on purpose. Though she had to admit, there _was_ something pleasant about being able to admire his face; she wondered how long it had been since she took a decent look at her husband and truly admired how handsome he was.

By and by, he _did_ kiss her warmly before taking his leave with the rest of the draconists, and Seras led the ladies into the catacombs, and then through the door at the back of them where she found the female vampire refugees already waiting.

A few of them hissed hungrily when Walter entered the room, but Seras moved in front of him, her loaded gun ready, her eyes dangerously challenging. Most of them backed off instantly but a few need a bit more persuasion. Seras snarled viciously, "You kill this human and Draculae will kill you. He is a weapons maker and we need him alive."

At the mention of Draculae, no one dared to threaten Walter again.

"Thank you, Miss Victoria," Walter said. He had no so much as twitched in the whole while that Seras was defending him.

"You've been spending too much time around vampires, Walter," Seras said smirking. "You look too comfortable here. You're not going to stay when the war is over, are you?"

"Alucard wishes me to take on an immortal apprentice and teach him the trade before I leave."

"You could teach me," Seras suggested.

"I do not think he would appreciate that," Walter replied. "But I believe he is going to have _you_ transform the boy so that he will have the most control over him."

"Figures," Seras muttered.

The other vampiresses were settling down and soon Walter turned to Seras and said, "Would you care to sit, Miss Victoria? We may be here for a while."

"How long do you think it will last?" she asked anxiously, tucking her legs beneath her as she made herself comfortable on the cold stone floor.

"I cannot say, but I have a feeling it will not be an easy victory," he replied thoughtfully, sitting beside her. "Iscariot was a always a competent rival to Hellsing, and they are very skilled in the killing of the undead."

Seras sighed and thought of the fledglings she had trained. How long would they last amid such a throng? How many, if any, would return?

"Do you think they've started fighting yet?" she asked curiously.

"Miss Victoria, I have no doubt that you will know the moment the battle begins."

They did not continue conversation after that. Seras nervously fidgeted with a bit of her hair, trying to keep from worrying too much about Alucard. The silence was suffocating. None of the females dared speak, all equally as nervous as she, pining for the potential loss of their mates. They stared blankly at the walls and floor, their eyes glazed with worry.

_He'll be fine,_ Seras told herself firmly. _He'll be fine._

But what if he wasn't? What would she do? What would happen to her? Would she end up living in the werewolf village, raising pups that were not her own? But no, if Sandru was dead (and she strongly believed he was), she had no reason to return. Then would she stay in Castle Draculae and become wife to another man? Radu, perhaps? The thought made her want to vomit, not so much because Radu was unattractive, but more because she could not imagine another man intimately touching her body. Seducing Radu had been challenging enough, but bedding him? Certainly not for a hundred years after Alucard's death.

_Alucard's death._ Oh, why did she have to think such a backwards thought? She quickly shook her head, trying not to dwell on it.

_He'll be fine, he'll be fine, he'll be fine..._

_Mother, stop worrying,_ Cosmin's voice said abruptly. _There is no use in dwelling on what is yet to happen._

_I can't help it, Cosmin; if he dies, I'll have nothing left,_ she replied unhappily.

_Nothing, Mother? _he asked pointedly.

_I'm sorry, Cosmin. I wasn't thinking when I said that. I love you dearly as well._

_So you finally admit that you are in love with him,_ Cosmin observed in amusement. _I think he loves you, too._

_Alucard doesn't know how to love, and one day, neither will I, _Seras returned sharply.

_Of course he believes that, _Cosmin said. _He has never been in love before. What reason would he have to believe in it?_

_But the other vampires..._ Seras protested.

_...are just as oppressed on the subject as you are, _Cosmin finished for her. _Who dares to contradict the great Draculae? Love exists among the dead as well as the living, though it is not as common. But I have no doubt that you love him, having seen your mind._

Seras felt a sudden urge to cry. She was allowed to love him? Secretly, of course, but nonetheless...

_BOOM!_

Seras looked up in alarm, her thoughts coming to an abrupt halt. The earth shook violently, a sound like thunder rumbling though the ground all around them.

"Walter, what...?" Seras said blankly, struggling to keep her balance as hard tremors shook them.

"We must move downward!" Walter said quickly. "The castle is collapsing!"

Seras didn't even stop to consider his words. "Everybody move downward!" she snapped at the vampiresses. "Quickly! Quickly!"

Walter, though agile for his age, was not as swift as a vampire, and therefore, Seras grabbed a hold of him and dragged him with her at a much faster pace. She could feel a faint wind in the tunnel, one that could only be caused by crumbling rocks. She moved faster sprinting along the dark corridor, not knowing where it led or how far she would have to go.

"Miss Victoria, we must move faster!" Walter said anxiously, having a clear view of the collapsing cave behind them. Seras looked backwards and saw massive boulders crashing to the tunnel floor. She let a surprised gasp escape her throat before doubling her pace.

But then, out of nowhere, something swept her off her feet, propelling her swiftly down the hall until the rocks ceased to fall. Dust filled the air, causing the younger vampires (who still felt a need to breath) to cough.

Seras took a deep breath and opened her eyes, expecting for a moment that her unseen savior was Alucard. What she saw instead was a large black dog the three pairs of glowing, crimson eyes.

The dog nuzzled her for a moment, as if checking to see if she was okay, and then vanished, leaving her equally as shocked by its departure as she was by its presence.

"Walter, did you see...?"

"That is Alucard's familiar," Walter said smoothly, dusting the rubble off his clothes. "It is a hell-hound, and a very powerful one at that. He must have sent it to you when he saw the missiles."

"Missiles?!" Seras gasped.

"I can only assume that that is what hit us, though I have no doubt that Alucard has already dismantled any air craft they have remaining. They sought to catch him off guard by hurting the females."

"The females!" Seras repeated in shock, turning around and examining her gasping companions. "Is everyone accounted for?" she asked quickly.

She stared into the weary faces, identifying each and mentally counting their numbers which she had thought to tally when she first entered the cave. Horror-struck, she realized that they were short one. Just one. But who?

"Who is missing?" she asked fervently. "We are one less in number!"

The vampiresses quickly exchanged nervous glances, checking their friends and siblings to see if they were all present.

"Barbara!" some one gasped.

"Barbara?" Seras repeated, tears springing to her eyes. Sure enough, the vampiress was nowhere to be found.

"Miss Victoria, where are you going?" Walter asked, eyes widening as she removed the strap of her Harkonnen and set it on the ground.

"She may still be alive," Seras said quickly. "I'm going to search for her. If anyone touches the human, I'll kill them," she added to the others. Without another word, she phased into the rocks, stumbling blindly through the solid black, searching for her fallen companion.

_Barbara..._ Seras thought, feeling around. She could sense her aura, but it was very weak, as if she was...

No! Seras wouldn't think of that until it was certain. She latched onto that tiny glimmer of aura and followed it faithfully through the horrible darkness, praying that she would reach her in time. Her body pushed through layer by layer of rubble, deepening slowly as she drew closer to the flickering life.

_Barbara, _she told herself, as her fingers closed around a crushed and battered arm. She extended her phasing to the other vampiress and pulled the mauled body into her arms, carrying it back to the others. A few of the vampiresses began to cry when they saw what remained of the once beautiful woman.

"She is still alive!" Seras said angrily.

"She is dying!" Danuta wailed, falling into the arms of watery-eyed Mikova.

"Hush!" Seras snapped, bringing her wrist to her mouth and slitting it. She held the dripping wound over Barbara's barely recognizable mouth. No response.

"Barbara..." another woman sniffled.

"Walter, come here," Seras instructed.

The former butler knelt at her side. "Yes, Miss Victoria."

"I need your blood," Seras said, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Please. Barbara is precious to me. She is my friend."

"Of course," Walter said hesitantly, holding out his arm.

Seras quickly sliced his wrist and held it to Barbara's mouth. There was a heavy silence as everyone watched anxiously. Seras felt her breath deepening, her stomach clenching as she waited... waited... waited...

And then, a small pink tongue protruded from the bloodied lips. Barbara was drinking. Seras let out a surprised laugh; she would be alright! She would live!

Seras quickly brought Walter's wrist to her mouth and licked it until it healed, trying to hide her tears of relief from the rest of her companions. She proceeded to lick Barbara's more serious wounds, hoping to help her heal while her body was still weak. Danuta joined her, and then Mikova, and then every vampiress who could reach the tattered body.

Soon Barbara was sleeping deeply, her wounds reduced to scars.

They all stared in disbelief. They had come _so_ close to losing her...

- - - - -

AND, that's all you get for now! Hopefully I'll have another update out soon! Reviews/ flames/ whatever the hell you feel like writing are appreciated!


	18. The Burden of Blood

Greetings, all! I have returned with yet another chapter! ;) See, I'll bet many of you thought I was bluffing about getting this thing done! Anyway, things are getting a little serious in this chapter, so bare with me. Enjoy! R&R!

- - - - -

The stench of burning flesh was rich in the air; thick clouds of smoke rolled across the valley of Arefu, clotting at the base of the cliffs and lingering for far too long. It was an advantage to the vampires that the humans had not anticipated; though their senses of smell were all but ruined, their eyesight far eclipsed that of the humans; if nothing else they could still hear the ragged breathing and the heavy heartbeats of those struggling to remain in the war.

Though Iscariot's numbers were great, the army was shabby, and thrown together. It was motley of men from all across the globe, united under a common goal, but nothing more. Their language was as garbled as the tower of babble, and chaos ensued wherever a commanding officer died.

Realizing this, Alucard saw to it that the draconists targeted anyone giving orders, leaving the fledglings to entertain the foot soldiers.

After a fairly short period of time, he felt their numbers dwindling.

"They give up quickly," Sigismund observed, wrenching his fist from the chest of a wailing man, a pulsing heart clutched between his slender fingers.

"Yes," Alucard agreed darkly. "How unusual."

"You sense a trap?" Sigismund asked, eyes narrowing.

Alucard ignored his question and said, "Call the draconists back. We'll retreat for the time being, until they make their next move."

"Waiting patiently?" Sigismund said, eyebrow raised. "That's not like you."

Alucard smirked. "Isn't it more fun that way? Give them a chance for a glorious last stance! And then we'll slaughter them all."

- - - - -

Seras sat in the dark, breathing heavily. Though the adrenalin had long since ceased to pound in her veins, she could not seem to calm down. Too many images were flashing through her head. Bombs. Silver. Bodies. Blood.

Somehow, Barbara's close encounter had made her realize that Alucard was not the only one in danger. How many of the draconists would return? Which of the women beside her would never see their mates again? And what of the fledglings? Certainly, they had been troublesome, but they were still people... in a sense. And what about her? What if _she_ didn't survive? If Alucard had not sent his familiar at the last minute, she would have been crushed, and Cosmin along with her.

_The doubt must end,_ Cosmin said, no doubt flipping through her thoughts like they were his own. _Father would be disappointed._

Seras laughed dryly. _He's always disappointed._

_Is he? _Cosmin replied. _Barely an hour ago he said he was proud of you. I felt your heart race._

Seras smiled inwardly. _It's the first time he's said that._

_Indeed._

_I hate sitting here. I hate not being able to help._

_You think saving that vampiress was a waste? _Cosmin asked.

_What? No! Of course not!_ _Stop twisting my words! You know what I mean!_

"Miss Victoria?"

Seras blinked and looked up at Walter. "Should we perhaps move deeper into the caves?" he suggested. "The roof here is still unstable."

Seras nodded distantly and rose from the ground. She strapped the Harkonnen to her back and hefted the limp form of Barbara into her arms.

"Everyone," she called to the others. "Let's keep moving. It's not safe here."

There was a murmur of mixed opinions, but no one outright disagreed with her. They gathered what belongings they had with them and walked slowly down the pitch black of the hall. Seras led the group, her crimson eyes humming in the dark, Walter holding loosely to the back of her shirt so that he would not be lost in the shadows.

Alucard had said the caves went on for miles... just how far in had they gone when the ceiling collapsed? Seras could remember moving at unnatural speeds, which meant that they had to be several miles deep at the very least.

There was a sudden breeze and the vampiresses tensed as one; Seras saw the shadows swirling around them and felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She sighed with relief.

The draconists materialized one by one (saveLazarević, who was no doubt watching over the fledglings) and rushed forward to greet their spouses. Seras felt a sharp pang of guilt at the horror on Sigismund's face when he saw his wife lying unconscious in her arms. He rushed forward to collect Barbara, as Seras hastily explained, "The cave collapsed, but she'll be alright... she's just sleeping."

"You're reaction time is too slow, Seras," a cold voice said, calling her attention to the man she was most desperate to see. His words stung; she had expected a more affectionate greeting.

"I'm sorry," Seras said, letting her head sag. "If I had made sure everyone got out before me, Barbara wouldn't have-"

"I am talking about you," Alucard replied. "You were almost crushed. Don't let it happen again."

Seras nodded. In spite of herself, her eyes flickered up and down his body, searching for wounds. She was pleased to find that there were none; if anything he looked better than he usually did, his eyes alight with power, his aura pulsing ominously. Sometimes it was hard to believe that such a man cared for her. Really, he was more like a god than a man anyway.

"Is... is the battle over?" she managed to ask.

"There is a lull," he said simply. "They have fallen back. I've sent Lazarević to watch over their camp. We will know the instant they move again."

"I see..." she said, letting out a low breath of air. "Are... um, do you think we can beat them?"

"They are only humans, Seras," he replied, looking amused by her worry.

She nodded. "I just can't feeling as though they're banking on our arrogance in some way. Like I said before, they know what they're dealing with. They wouldn't have sent such a rag-tag group into war without a greater plan."

"I understand your concern, but I assure you that-"

"My lord!"

Lazarević burst from a portal and stumbled into their midst, blood splattering the ground around him. He swayed on the spot, clutching his side in agony. Seras stared in horror. Alucard frowned.

"What has happened?" the vampire king asked.

"We, nngh- they sensed me," Lazarević growled.

"Sensed you?" Alucard repeated. Seras could hear the faint alarm in his voice, as though this were somehow a death sentence. She listened in apprehension.

"D-dhampir," Lazarević gasped. "Hundreds. I only... barely made it out alive."

Alucard smirked. "Well, it seems they have claws after all," he mused. "My friends," he called to the draconists. "Lazarević has just brought us wonderful news! An army of dhampir is in their midst, thirsting for a fight! Shall we show them what true vampires are? Our dear, dear children."

The draconists chuckled, though Lazarević did not seem to consider it a laughing matter. Neither did Seras.

"What are our orders?" Sigismund asked, laying the unconscious form of his wife against the cave wall.

Alucard grinned. "Kill them. Every last one. Take back their blood! Lazarević will not accompany us this time, as he has already proved himself incompetent in the midst of children. Sigismund, fetch the wolves and the fledglings. The time to end it has come!"

The draconists began to vanish one by one a rush of wind and shadows. Seras noticed Alucard saying something fiercely to Lazarević before he vanished as well, and once again they were alone, save the addition of the wounded (and very angry) vampire. Despite her dislike of him, she couldn't help asking, "Do you need help?"

Lazarević shot a fierce, menacing glare in her direction before limping to the wall and slumping down against it. Seras sighed and approached him again, saying, "We're not staying here."

"Who says I have anything to do with what you do and don't do?" Lazarević snapped at her.

Seras bristled. "Look, I don't care what kind of issues you have with me, but you are either with us or against us. If you have any shred of loyalty to your lord then you will do whatever task he asks of you, regardless of your sentiments on the subjects. Now if you'd care to stop acting like a hormonal teenager, we're leaving."

Seras saw him mouth the word 'hormonal' as though he had never heard it before. She groaned and moved to pick up Barbara once again.

She moved to Walter shortly after, and called his attention to her. "Hold onto me and stay close," she muttered. "I don't trust Lazarević not to do something rash."

Walter nodded. "I must say, Miss Victoria, I'm quite impressed with your leadership skills."

Seras smiled sheepishly. "It's amazing what a war will prove you capable of."

"Yes," he agreed.

"Walter, what is a dhampir?"

Walter frowned with distaste. He said, "It is the crossproduct of a human and a vampire, usually a male vampire bedding a human woman, but the reverse has occurred. Though still, mortal, they tend to have advantages the ordinary humans do not, such as a certain ability to sense when one of their vampiric kinsmen is near , or added speed and strength. The case really does vary quite often. Humans and vampires were never meant to breed."

Seras shuddered. "Do you think they will be a threat?"

"Without a doubt," Walter replied. "If properly trained, a dhampir can become the fiercest of vampire hunters, far more deadly than any priest you've yet encountered."

"Even Anderson?"

Seras could see the reluctance in his face as he replied, "Yes, even Anderson."

Seras felt panic hit her hard and fast. Anderson had been more than enough of a challenge for Alucard, so what could an army of dhampir do?

_I said no panicking!_ A harsh voice reminded her.

Though she had grown used to Cosmin's occasional outbursts, she was still caught off guard and jumped a little.

_I'm not panicking, _she replied, calming herself.

_Mother, your mind is mine to read; lies are worthless. Father cannot and will not die. Focus on the task at hand. Move deeper into the caves. I'm sensing something._

_Sensing something?_ Seras repeated in apprehension.

_Yes. The wolves are near. They are coming towards us, though they are so slow, even for dogs! _

Seras felt a shiver pass over her. Somehow, Cosmin's words sounded... ominous.

"Someone take Barbara from me," she said, eyes narrowed and ears pricked.

Mikova was the first to reach her, but it was Danuta who asked with wide eyes, "Seras, where are you going?"

"Just to scout ahead," Seras replied.

"What if it's dangerous?" Danuta asked anxiously.

Seras smiled slightly. "All the better for me. Don't worry, I'll take Walter with me."

"A human?" Lazarević put in with disgust.

"Yes," Seras allowed, sighing. "A human. A damn useful human!"

"I will go with you," Lazarević replied, pushing himself off the ground.

"Stay!" Seras barked, and he sat back down more from surprise than anything. "You'll only slow us down."

"Slow you down?!" he said in disbelief. "I could outstrip that human even with my legs cut off!"

Seras hissed in a display of confidence the surprised even herself. Lazarević seemed taken aback. "You are useless," she said angrily. "You have proved that to me on numerous occasions, with petty jealousy and idiotic notions of what your lord and master should or should not be. Your loyalty is only skin deep, and therefore you are little more than a child!"

"A child?" he scoffed. "I have centuries on you!"

"Centuries spent hiding in a hole!" Seras retorted. "I am Draculae's chosen! Does that mean nothing to you? Do you think he would scour the streets for the weakest and most pathetic human and then make her his bride? Your doubt is no longer welcome. If it continues, I'll kill you myself. Neither I nor my mate need such a disloyal servant."

"You think Draculae would forgive you if you did such a thing?!"

"I have no doubt."

"I will come with you, nonetheless."

"I told you to stay!"

Face contorted with anger, he growled, "Draculae insisted that I aid in your protection."

"By staying with the vampiresses, you will," she replied. "If I am not protecting anything, I will have the freedom to protect myself."

"Not with the human along," he said in an undertone.

Seras laughed. "Walter has killed countless vampires, has fought alongside Draculae for years, destroyed werewolves and monsters of every sort. I, too, have fought with him. He is a formidable companion. You are nothing but a burden."

Seras was done discussing; she turned and headed in the opposite direction, Walter just a step behind her.

"I'm touched," the former butler said, and she could see the small smirk on his lips.

"One of these days, I think I _am_ going to kill him," Seras decided, glancing over her shoulder. "Perhaps I can make it look like an accident..."

"Miss Victoria, that's not like you," Walter said in disappointment.

Seras laughed softly. "I know," she said. "And so does Alucard. Lazarević is in no danger from me."

"You were quite impressive back there," Walter added. "You were so timid when you first came to Hellsing. To see you acting with such conviction... well, it was very fascinating."

"I've gotten cocky," Seras muttered. "I felt like I'd turned into a different person."

"I would merely call it 'growing up'," Walter said warmly.

A sudden thump brought their conversation to a halt. Seras froze, her ears attuned to the sounds from down the long rocky cave. She could hear footsteps and fast breaths, and even further away, faint shouting. She narrowed her gaze and pierced the darkness, her eyes traveling deep into the black. The first thing she saw was two women running towards her, wolves from what she could tell of their clothes and scruffy appearances. Beyond that, she saw a long stretch of nothing, and then a mass of movement that she could not quite identify due to it's distance.

Seras darted forward to greet the women. The three moved so quickly in their various directions that they almost passed eachother.

"Are..." one of the women managed to gasp between pants, "you... Draculina?"

Seras nodded. "What has happened?" she asked urgently.

"T-they found us..." the woman stuttered, still dragging air into her lungs. "Won't... die..."

"I don't understand," Seras said quickly.

The she-wolves exchanged uncertain glances. The one who had not yet spoken, said, "We're holding them off... but they don't die, no matter what we do. They heal so quickly... we thought at first that they were traitor vampires, but they don't fight like vampires... they fight like... like..."

"Priests?" Seras offered even as her stomach plummeted. Not just priests, her mind was telling her: regenerators.

The girls exchanged another glance, and then nodded as one. "We were told the vampiresses were here... and... and they're killing us! We need help!"

Taking a deep, unnecessary breath, Seras considered the situation. Alucard would be anrgy with her for entering combat, but she couldn't just let a pack's entire collection of females die.

"I'll come," she decided. "But we'll leave the other vampiresses out of it. They know nothing of combat."

Walter, adjusting his monocle, said, "And I will join you, if I may?"

Seras smiled. "I would be honored."

They set off at a fast pace, racing along the hall towards the ever more clear throng of chaos. Seras could smell the horrible stench of werewolf blood in the air, but there was also the sweet smell of pups intertwined; her heart sank, knowing that innocents had already died.

The moment her eyes found a regenerator, she doubled her speed and launched herself into the thick of the fray. Metal wires flew alongside her, and the smell of human blood entered the air. Like a drug, Seras felt her fangs lengthening, the monster in her coming to the surface. She latched onto the throat of the nearest man and began to rip it to pieces as her claws tore at his chest. To kill a regenerator, she would have to destroy every piece of him, starting with his heart.

Her fingers plunged deep into his ribcage, splintering bone and spewing blood across her face. Her hand had just closed around the throbbing organ when a heavy blow from nowhere sent her flying hard into the wall. She let out a low wimper and quickly got to her feet, advancing again. She found the same, half-dead regenerator struggling for life and jumped him, this time smashing him into the ground with a sickening crunch. She cut off his head and then ripped open his chest, emptying his innards onto the ground and smashing them to pieces. She was pleased to see that he was, without a doubt, dead.

She swiftly turned to find her next opponent.

_Mother, behind you!_

She wheeled and found a blessed blade being plunged deep into her shoulder. She shuddered to think where it would have landed if Cosmin hadn't warned her. Snarling viciously, she broke it in half, one end still deep inside her, and attacked the man. This time as she pinned him to the ground with her foot, she made short work of him by aiming her Harkonnen at his upper body.

He exploded, and she smirked satisfactorily. With her free hand, she removed the shard of silver, wincing as the flesh burnt and stung. The werewolves, she suddenly noticed, had retreated to a safe distance, leaving she and Walter to handle the regenerators. _Figures, _she grumbled to herself, squaring off with a new attacker. She crouched low, ready to spring but something latched onto her from behind, dragging her backwards.

She slipped and stumbled to the ground, and in an instant, half a dozen regenerators had swarmed around her, their blades at the ready. Wires sprung from the darkness and wrapped around a few of them, yanking them away from the circle. Seras felt the hope glimmer in her at the sight of Walter fighting furiously, wisps of gray-black hair breaking free of his smooth ponytail holder and brushing across his sweat-streaked forehead.

She quickly sprung into action, kicking up with her leg and knocking another priest away. Simultaneously, she sunk her fangs into the arm of another man and pulled, ripping it cleanly away from the shoulder. Blood gushed down her front, fueling her blood lust. She pounded her fist deep into her victims skull, smashing it like she would a grape. Pleasure gripped her with every kill, sending her deeper and deeper into a haze of crimson glory.

She barely noticed the five men closing in on Hellsing's former butler.

She may never have, if he had not let out a low cry as a blade plunged deep into his stomach. The sound brought Seras crashing to reality, driving away every form of hunger with a thick wave of shock. She spun, her eyes wide, and watched as the elderly man collapsed to the ground.

"No..." she whispered, frozen to the spot. His blood spilled across the darkened earth, staining it red. Seras felt slow realization pounding in the back of her mind.

She rushed forward, and knocked the men out of her way with the ferocity of a cornered cat. She swiftly wrapped Walter in her arms and dart down the hall aways, just enough to set him down.

"Miss... erg, Miss Victoria," Walter grunted, his hand pressing closely to the wound. Blood spurted beneath his hands and leaked onto her uniform.

"It's okay, Walter," she said softly. "I'm here."

"D... Don't... let your guard... down," he choked out.

Seras could already sense the regenerators closing in. Without thinking, without knowing how she did it, or where it had come from, the rocks began to crash down on the space between them, sealing the space between them.

"See, it's alright," she murmured, pulling his head onto her lap. "I'll heal you, alright? You'll be fine."

Walter began to chuckle, but that only furthered his wounds. "It's... a bit m-more complicated than that. Was Alucard able to heal you after he shot you i-in Cheddar?"

"He saved me," Seras said indignantly.

Walter grimaced. "Not... everyone _can _be saved... not everyone... wants... to..."

His speech was becoming slow and slurred, as though he was barely awake. Cold, cruel, bitter realization weighed down on her once more. Walter was dying. She couldn't stop it.

"Walter," she whispered, holding him tightly. "You're fine, you'll be fine!"

"Give... th-them... hell..." he said in the smallest voice immaginable. There was a horrible pause in which he drew a low breath, and then his life force faded, and Seras knew he was gone.

"N... no..." she said desperately, shaking him slightly. She could hear the rocks shifting, sense the regenerators approaching, taste the imminent doom. But it didn't matter.

In a short second, she made up her mind. She raised the limp body of her friend and pressed her lips to his throat, lingering briefly. She gritted her teeth together for a moment, and then bit down, and thus took his soul inside her.

Her world pulsed as the sweet blood surged in her throat.

_Yes..._Cosmin hissed from nowhere. _And now we will kill them all._

Seras nodded and dropped the body to the floor. "Every one must die."

Cosmin laughed deep inside her. _Shall we "give them hell", Mother?_

- - - - -

Now where's the fun in life without a good healthy cliffhanger? Anyway, I hope to offer a view of the battle beyond the caves in the next chapter- I'm honestly not sure how much longer this thing is going to be. 2 chapters more at least...


	19. Final Stand

My a/n will be really short today since I don't want to give anything away. This is, essentially, the climax after the story, though not the end. I may write another chapter and then an epilogue, or perhaps just one more chapter. We'll see what works better. Anyway, thanks for sticking with the story so far guys, and I hope you'll enjoy this next bit! R&R!

- - - - -

Seras stood waiting, the fresh blood still lingering in her mouth, her eyes glowing fiercely, her Harkonnen clutched and ready.

_Wait for the opening, _Cosmin said.

The regenerators were closing in fast, some still struggling through small holes in the rock wall. Seeing this, Seras drew on her powers once again and blasted the rocks away from her, crushing several men at the same time.

_You must not waste energy, _Cosmin hissed.

_Pick up my wires._ The voice was not Cosmin's but another much more familiar voice.

_Walter!_ She gasped.

_We're here to help, _Walter said back.

_We?_

_Zat's right, girlie. I'm 'ere, too._

_Pip!_ Seras exclaimed, warmth flooding her system at the sound of their voices.

_We are a part of you, _Walter said calmly. _We will help you win this fight. Pick up my wires._

_But I don't..._

_Miss Victoria, you must trust me! Time is short._

Seras quickly obeyed, slipping the wire from between the dead Walter's fingers and lacing them around her own in a similar fashion.

_Good. Now I can help you aim, but you must cast them out. Can you do that?_

_I can try, _Seras replied.

She flicked her wrist hard and the razor sharp wires flew away from her, though not nearly as far or as fast as when Walter did it. As Walter had said, he helped her aim and she successfully caught the wire around the leg of an approaching priest.

_Pull, _Walter instructed. Seras did so and the leg came cleanly off, causing the man to fall. _Again!_ Walter said, and she repeated the process, this time with a little more confidence. Her wires encompassed the same man far more effectively.

_Don't hesitate, _Walter told her. _Use your other hand as well._

Even as she tugged back with the one hand (thus dicing the man wrapped between the wires), she shot out with the other, this time (with Walter's help) trapping two men. No sooner had she cut through their flesh than she swung both her arms at ounce and sent the wires flying.

This, she quickly realized, had been a bad move. The metal caught and clashed in the air, forming a jumbled heap that would take hours to untangle.

_Walter!_ She yelped.

_Drop them, Miss Victoria. They're of no use now._

Seras hastened to do as she told, but she was not fast enough. The regenerators swamped her and pinned her to the ground, just as they had before. A sharp searing pain drove into each of her ankles and wrists, and she quickly realized they were restraining her with silver knives.

_Call Father, _Cosmin said.

_That would be wisest, Miss Victoria, _Walter agreed.

_But... the war... _Seras protested.

_Zey're going to kill you, _Pip put in.

_And me as well, _Cosmin added bitterly. _You must call Father. It is what he wanted._

_I never expected..._

_Call him! _Cosmin barked.

_Call him now! _Walter said.

_Do it, Girlie! _Pip finished.

"No!" Seras yelled angrily. "I'm sick of relying on Alucard for everything!"

Despite the pain, she ripped her hand out from beneath the silver dagger, ripping bone and flesh alike.

_You can't do zis, Seras, _Pip said angrily. _Zere are too many!_

"Shut up!" she snapped. She pulled out a foot, crying aloud with pain as her blood spilled across the ground.

_Miss Victoria, please..._

"No," she growled, and jerked her other hand free. "Not this time." The final leg came free.

The regenerators plunged in on her again, their swords glinting as they approached her body.

_No, _she told herself softly. _I won't let you._

There was a sudden surge of vampiric energy so powerful that, for a moment, Seras could not believe it had come from her. Her eyes fell shut as explored the cave with her third eye; she could see every body, every movement, as though it was happening in slow motion.

The swords were coming so much closer, but at such a slow speed. Swiftly, she slid from beneath them, wondering at her ability to move so quickly. The swords struck on rock with a loud clang, but Seras was already behind the group, her fangs bared. She grabbed the nearest man by both of his arms and brought her knee up between his should blades, kicking out so that the arms tore from his shoulders. Even as he began to heal, Seras narrowed her eyes, and a black fire burst from the ground at his feet and wrapped around him, sealing him in a flaming coffin. He screeched as the flesh ripped from his face and body.

- - - - -

"You felt it, too?" Sigismund asked, seeing that Alucard had halted in his progress.

"How could I not?" Alucard asked, snapping the neck of the struggling dhampir he clutched in his arms. From nowhere a shower of silver arrows burst towards them. Alucard barely had time to erect a barrier before the arrows struck, deflecting in every direction as they came in contact with his shield.

"Such primitive methods," he laughed, unsheathing the jackle.

"My lord, what of the aura we sensed?" Sigismund asked. "It came from the caves..."

Alucard consider this as he fired a few careful shots into a line of approaching soldiers. He had given Seras specific instructions to call if there was trouble, and she had promised him earnestly that she would. It was not like her to lie, or to try to take on a fierce enemy on her own. Had he put too much faith in her? Or perhaps too little? Had he overestimated her dependence upon him?

He frowned, weighing the circumstances in his mind. If, say, she was under attack and had chosen not to call him, the danger couldn't have been too serious, could it? She was with Lazarević and Walter, as well as many other vampiresses. Likewise, the entrance to the cave was destroyed (as was the castle) and the other entrance, located several miles away, was guarded by the wolves. It would have to be a very fierce enemy to break through such a defense.

Yet, there was still that chance that she was in real danger, and it was a possibility that he could not take lightly. She was his first (and preferably only) mate, and carried his child. If something were to happen to her...

"Send Ladislaus to check on them," Alucard said decisively. "And have Vytautus take over command of the fledglings. If there is trouble, have Ladislaus draw back a few of the dogs."

"Understood," Sigismund said resolutely. He vanished from the spot, leaving Alucard to deal with the mass of approaching men and dhampir. He handled them easily, destroying them one by one in swift, fluid movements. Admittedly the dhampir were more difficult than the average priest, particularly in such multitudes. They attacked from every angle, with knives and bows and every sort of holy object imaginable.

Pathetic fools. Did they think he was common scum? He was the king of the undead, Vlad Draculae, and more recently, Alucard! These weaklings might have been formidable to some, but he was unstoppable.

- - - - -

Seras dropped the final body to the floor, triumph as she had never known stirring inside her. The cave was a bloodbath, a mass of ruined flesh and rubble; Seras could hardly help the pleasure she felt at her victory.

"My Lady!"

Seras turned, frowning, to face the newcomer. It was one of the draconists, she could see, but she did not know his name.

"Yes?" she asked.

He came to a halt in front of her, looking around with something akin to awe.

"Did... what..." His eyes traveled over the mess she had created. "Is everything alright?"

Seras licked a stray bit of blood from her chin. "Everything's fine," she said.

"Lord Vlad believed you were under attack," the man said sharply.

"I was. As you can see, the attack is over and the vampiresses are safe, though there were several casualties among the wolves. Are you returning to him with a report?"

"Only if you are not in need of assistance."

"As you can see, I am in no danger."

"Then I will leave you. I'm pleased to see you are well. We all wondered if you weren't in some sort of danger when we felt that aura spike. Was that you?"

Seras nodded hesitantly. "I was... momentarily at risk, but it's fine now. If you are going back to Alu- erm, Vlad, could you tell him... that Walter is dead."

"Walter? Ah, that was the human." The man smiled. "I will pass on your message. Be safe, My Lady. If something were to happen to you, we would _all_ feel the effects of it."

With that, he vanished and Seras sighed, smiling to herself. Alucard honestly had no faith in her abilities.

She turned and began stalking down the hall, but her eyes fell on the broken corpse of a familiar face. Instantly, her stomach clenched into a thousand knots. She hastily rushed over to Walter's body and scooped him up, carrying him away from the wreckage. She laid him against the wall and closed his empty eyes, saying a final farewell.

A part of her wanted to curl up beside him and cry, but she reminded herself that she was in the middle of a war and she had more important things to do. The vampiresses, and now the she-wolves as well, needed looking after.

Letting out a breath of air, she rose from the crimson stone and jerked her eyes away from the disheartening sight, reminding herself that at least he was within her now.

_Mother, I sense something,_Cosmin said from nowhere.

_Friend or foe?_ Seras asked hastily.

_Vampire. The aura is concealed._

_So... friend?_

_Not necessarily._

Seras kept very still, her eyes scanning the darkness for any movement. She inhaled small bits of air, searching for any unfamiliar scents.

"Hello, Seras."

The voice was unmistakable, and even as her body relaxed with relief, her mind tensed.

"Radu," she whispered, gritting her teeth together.

He stepped forward, smiling slightly. "I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you," Radu said, "but it is not. I'm here on grim business."

Seras had a pretty good idea of what that business might be. "Are you here to kill me?" she asked.

"Clever guess," Radu said. "Yes, I am here to kill you. You first, and then them." He gestured down the hall to where the she-wolves and vampiresses were hiding, well out of sight.

"I see," Seras said, swallowing hard. "And you understand that I'll put up a fight?"

"I'm hoping you do," Radu said. "The longer you live, the better chance Vlad has to come to your rescue."

"I'm not going to call him," she said firmly.

"No?" Radu seemed surprised. "I would advise against that, Chiajna. You are still no match for me, and as I have told you, I don't particularly want to kill you."

"It doesn't matter. It's a trap, isn't it, to lure him away from battle?"

"Isn't it always?"

Seras closed her eyes briefly, searching for some inner resolution.

_Cosmin_, she whispered.

_It's alright, Mother. I understand._

_Thank you..._

Radu's eyes widened. "You're truly prepared to die?"

"If necessary."

"Is he really worth that?" Radu had to ask, and Seras noted that he sounded annoyed.

She nodded slowly, fear churning deep inside her.

"Then I suppose I never had a chance, did I?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Then I can only have so much remorse in killing you. I'm sorry it had to be this way, Seras. My master has forbidden me to hold back."

Seras, forcing a final smile, said, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Radu chuckled and stooped into a crouch, his body poised as if to strike. Seras mimicked the stance, her senses alert and ready.

_I'll help you if I can, _Cosmin said.

_We'll all help, _the half-forgotten voice of Pip said.

_No fear, _Seras told them. _We can win this._

In an instant, in the blink of an eye, Radu leaped into the air, his claws unsheathed and his fangs bared in a menacing way. Seras barely had time to dodge, flinging herself backwards against the stone. Radu struck where she had been moments before and then lunged again. Seras rolled to the side, but this time he altered his course mid-jump. She hastily pushed herself off the ground and darted down the hall, Radu hot on her heels.

_He's fast, _Walter observed.

_That's a bit of an understatement! _Seras growled, narrowly missing a swipe of his long nails.

She doubled back, breathing heavily.

_Duck, _Cosmin instructed.

Seras dropped to the cold earth just as a massive rock soared across where her head had just been. No sooner had it crashed against the cave walls than she was back on her feet, brow furrowed in frustration.

_I can't keep running, _she hissed. _He's too fast._

_Transform, _Cosmin said. _You'll need to become something faster._

_Wha-what?!_ Seras yelped.

Radu was rushing at her again, and she barely managed to move out of his way. She threw one of the fallen rocks in his direction, but missed miserably. Where was her Harkonnen, she wondered? She must have lost it in the fight with the regenerators.

Hurrying in the opposite direction, back towards the destruction she had caused earlier, she could feel Radu just feet behind her, growing steadily closer.

_Transform!_ Cosmin said again, this time with real conviction.

_B- how?! _she asked frantically.

_Command, Mother. Just as you command the elements around you, take control of yourself and be what you wish to be. It is as simple as that._

_Be what I wish...?_

Radu successfully launched himself at her once again and knocked her to the ground, looming ominously over her.

_Now, Mother!_

_What I wish... to..._ her mind raced, her eyes staring up at her attacker with fear.

Radu struck, but Seras never felt it. She did however, hear a low, pitiful cry. _Cosmin! _she shrieked.

_I'm... alright... _he huffed. The barrier he had generated began to fade. Radu prepared to attack once more.

_No you don't, _Seras growled to herself. She would not let her child be hurt again. She kicked fiercely upward, knocking Radu cleanly off her with enough strength to send him spinning into the ceiling overhead. Dust and rubble showered her, and she hastily got to her feet. She pushed off the ground with as much force as she could muster, and aimed a heavy blow at her opponent.

She saw the momentary look of wonder in his eyes, and then he vanished. A sharp pain drove into her from behind. Crying aloud, she saw the tips of finger protruding through her shoulder blade. Seras hastily altered her course into a back flip, jerking his hand free of her flesh and allowing her the opportunity to connect her foot with the back of his head.

His neck snapped forward, and he crumpled to the ground.

_Get to the Harkonnen, _Walter's voice said inside her.

Seras nodded and then dashed down the hall, before Radu had the chance to recover. She snatched up her discarded weapon where it lay among the gore and loaded it. By the time she rounded, Radu was advancing once again. She wasted no time in firing squarely into his chest, blasting a massive hole through his torso. He fell backwards once again, blood spewing in every direction. Seras hastily dropped the gun and leaped on top of his fallen body, her fingers wrapping around his throat.

He began to laugh softly. "It's over," he whispered.

"Yes," she agreed in mixture of rage and remorse. "It is."

Her free hand curled into a fist, raising high above her head. Radu closed his eyes to await his killing blow. Seras, despite the reluctance in her heart, put all her remaining strength into her arm, and let her fury fall.

Something caught her midway.

"No, Seras," a soft voice said. "It's over."

Her eyes grew wide as they traveled to her entrapped wrist, and then up the length of the arm that held her, and into the eyes of the man she loved.

"Alucard?" she said breathlessly, shock preventing any further motion on her part.

He pulled on her wrist and removed her from Radu with a gentle force that was not quite like him. She stumbled forward, placing all her weight against him, her eyes still staring blankly into his.

"You didn't call," he said distantly.

Seras, alleviating some of her surprise, managed to say, "I... couldn't..."

"Couldn't?" he asked. "Or wouldn't?"

"It was a trick," she murmured. "Like Radu said, I'm a gift to your enemies."

His face contorted with rage, and his grip on her tightened to the point of pain. "You are a gift to _me!_" he snapped, eyes flashing in the darkness. "Do you realize, if I hadn't been here, you would have-!"

"Succeeded in defeating her foes?"

Alucard and Seras looked as one to the tall, handsome vampire standing beside them, a familiar smirk on his face.

Radu sauntered closer, his dark hair swaying around his face as he moved.

"You say that lightly," Alucard said, eyes narrowed. "It would have been your head if I hadn't interfered."

"My point," Radu continued, "Is that the little Draculina took perfect care of herself without your help. Thank you, by the way, for freeing me, Vlad."

Alucard, in spite of his anger, grinned. "Our council has been somewhat... lacking without your contrasting stupidity."

Seras felt the tension in the air break, and suddenly reality began to spin around her, making her weak at the knees. If she hadn't been leaning on Alucard before, she certainly was then. Alucard's eyes turned back to her with some concern.

"Is it really over?" she managed to ask.

Alucard nodded. "Iscariot is destroyed. Down to the last man."

"And is everyone... alright?"

Alucard did not answer. "You need rest," he decided, scooping her into his arms.

"I'm fine!" she said quickly.

Alucard gave her a quick, sweeping look. He took in her blood drenched clothes, her wild hair, her heavy eyes, and then smirked in a self-satisfied way. "You need rest," he said again.

Seras was honestly too comfortable to protest; all the pain and fear she had felt over the past few hours seemed to melt in the safety of his arms.

- - - - -

The end. Haha, no jk, that would be really mean. Like I said earlier, I'll write another chapter in which everything "works out". Afterall, there are a lot of questions to be answered. Since we saw the end of the war through Seras' eyes, we don't really know who lived and who died (other than Walter), and there are several other issues to be resolved. Review! & I'll try to update soon.


	20. After the Battle

Alright, so aren't you guys lucky? This final chapter took a while to wrap up, so I'll still be posting the epilogue sometime soon. Additionally, just because I think it'll be fun, I'll include a short _Bonus Chapter_, but you'll just have to wait to see what that's about. Essentially though, this is the end of Son of the Dragon. It's the final official chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it. It's probably a little mushy, but I hope you'll all like it anyway. R&R!

- - - - -

Castle Draculae lay at peace once more, reconstructed by it's master's magic, it's banners flying as proudly as ever in the nonexistent breeze. The dead were lined up for burial, the enemy was (drained and) burned. Everything was unnaturally calm, save in one second story room.

There, Seras hit the ground on all fours and vomited onto the marble floor, emptying her stomach of everything she had consumed in the last twenty-four hours.

"You've been eating too much," Alucard chuckled, hovering over her as she cleansed her system.

It was late afternoon, and after several hours of sleep, Seras had awoken with a start and barely managed to roll from the coffin before the merciless wave of nausea possessed her. She really didn't understand _what _Alucard found so amusing about it.

She finally managed to sit up as Alucard, with a wave of his hand, cleared the floor of the mess. He then knelt beside her and gathered her into his lap.

Seras yawned and leaned into him. "Alucard... tell me what happened. In the war I mean."

"No draconists were killed," Alucard replied.

"What of the fledglings? And the other vampiric clans?"

"Though they suffered casualties, the majority are alive and healthy now."

"And..." Seras hesitated, "The wolves?"

"Your wolf is alive," Alucard said distantly.

"Wha- Sandru?" she gasped, sitting up eagerly. "But I thought... Radu's mind control..."

Alucard pulled her back against him, saying, "I recognized Radu's interference."

Seras hugged him fiercely. "Can I go see him? Please?"

"If you wish."

Seras jumped from his embrace and started towards the door, before she recalled something she had to do. She quickly doubled back and knelt in front of her mate, smiling softly.

"I love you," she said, and touched her lips to his warmly for a brief moment before phasing from the room.

- - - - -

Alucard stared after her, a soft smile curling his lips. "Do you?" he wondered aloud, rising from the ground. His crimson eyes traveled across the beautiful room, over the desk, and wardrobe, the chairs and tapestries. They finally came to rest on the coffin, a coffin that for him held pleasant memories, and not only lustful ones. There had been times when he would awake during the day and just stare at her, or run his fingers through her golden hair.

She had almost died last night. He had read her mind as she slept, seen her pinned with silver and fangs, felt her panic, her pain. Every bit of it. It weighed on his conscious in an unfamiliar way; he had been unable to sleep at all, because dreams kept him awake. How long had it been since he had nightmares? Years perhaps, and back then he had only relived his final moments as "Count Dracula", and the agony he felt when Hellsing captured him. These dreams were so horribly different, and always of her.

Even now, he could see her blood spilled across the ground, tears pouring down her face as she called for him again and again. Of course, that was an unrealistic picture; Seras would never just _die_. She would go out kicking and fighting and trying with every breath in her body to protect her son. And him as well. That was why she had come so close to death. Because she refused to call for her mate, for fear that a trap had been laid that would result in his death. Stupid, stupid girl.

It made him rich with anger, and he wasn't quite sure where he wanted to direct it. At her, maybe, but that would be pointless. She still wouldn't understand what she had done wrong. She was too noble, and too naïve. She simply couldn't grasp that without her, he would slip back into the void of death and rage, where he could do little more than pray for a worthy opponent to destroy him. She didn't understand that _she_ was his reason for living.

He wasn't entirely sure when or how it had happened, that she had become the center of his world and surpassed all other priorities. She meant more to him than the Order of the Dragon ever had, more than any amount of status or power. Since he had met her, he had believed her to be beautiful, and yet now when he looked at her, she took on an ethereal glow in his eyes. Things about her which had once bothered him now struck him as endearing.

He could tell that something inside him had changed in the past few days, and she was indubitably the catalyst. It was a change that only the prospect of _losing_ her could awaken. A world without her. He tried to imagine it, but the only thing he could conjure to mind was darkness.

- - - - -

Seras walked slowly through the rows of bodies, trying to pretend that she couldn't recognize (or name) any of them. She instead turned her eyes toward the werewolf camp, to where she prayed Sandru would be healthy and waiting for her.

The smell of burning flesh rolled across the air, coupled with smoke and ash; Seras clutched her black umbrella tighter, and walked a little faster.

As she entered the camp, she began to realize where the real casualties had been. The wolves had suffered greatly, and their numbers were almost halved. Grim faces and the sounds of crying greeted her senses, making her sick. It felt so wrong that in her world, everything was right; her husband and child were safe, her friends had survived (save Walter). Yet here, nearly everyone was mourning.

Seras swallowed hard, reminding herself that she had lost too much blood to waste any crying. She looked around carefully, scanning the small crowd for Sandru.

She found him, sitting on a log by a fire, his back to her.

She hurried forward and called him softly. "Sandru..." she said gently, stepping over the log so that she could sit beside him.

He blinked, as if coming out of a coma and turned to her.

"Seras..." he murmured in disbelief. "Y-you're..."

Seras smiled. "I was surprised to find out you were still alive, too," she said. "I thought for sure Alucard would have..."

Sandru shrugged slightly. "Maybe he's not so bad," he admitted. "But, God, Seras! How can I ever apologize to you?"

"Apologize for what?" Seras asked dismissively. "It wasn't you! If anyone should apologize, it should be Radu! But then, it wasn't really his fault either."

"C- can I hug you?" Sandru asked.

Seras laughed. "Of course! Since when do you ask?"

Sandru gathered her into his arms and buried his face in her hair as Seras tried to hug him and hold onto her umbrella at the same time. She suddenly realized that Sandru was crying.

"Sandru?" she asked swiftly, eyes widening with worry. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"N-no," came his muffled response.

"Then what's wrong?" she asked, stroking his hair.

"Daci...ana..."

Seras stifled a gasp. "Daciana?" she repeated. "Is... she hurt?"

His sobs increased, silent, but nonetheless painfully there. Seras did not have to ask what had happened to Daciana.

"What of Fane?" she managed to ask.

The sobs died off slowly and Sandru managed to sit up and look at her. "He's... he's not so good, Seras. He may not... make it."

Clenching her teeth, Seras asked, "May I see him?"

Sandru nodded and stood, pulling her up behind him. He led her through the camp and into a tent. Instantly, the stench of werewolf blood hit her, and Seras gagged a little. Fane was lying on a bedroll, his bare chest heavily laden with bandages as several women tended to him. His only child, Sorin, was sitting in the corner, tears stains on his cheeks.

Seras managed, with a great deal of force, to move herself closer to the wounded wolf. Fane smiled weakly when he saw her. "It's good to see you're alright," he said in short breaths.

Seras smiled back. "I wish I could say the same. May I?"

Fane nodded as Seras pulled back the bandages. She grimaced, both at the intensity of his wounds and at the fresh wave of blood that floated into her nostrils. The most horrifying thought to her was that she would be able to heal him if she could somehow find it in her to clean his wounds. She took a deep breath and lowered her mouth to his stomach.

"Seras!" Sandru yelped. "I thought you can't eat wolf blood!"

Seras forced a grin. "I won't swallow," she said, and began to lick the wound. As she had suspected the taste was one of the foulest things imaginable, like a potent combination of rotten flesh and dirt that burned her tongue. She drew back as soon as she was able and began to spit onto the ground. However, it was enough, and Fane's wounds were on the mend.

"You are an abnormal vampire," said a voice from behind her. She half-expected it to be Alucard, but instead found Radu, arms crossed on his chest, staring down at her with something akin to awe.

Seras coughed a little more and smiled. "If you had a friend, you wouldn't let them die, right?"

"I wouldn't have a wolf as a friend," Radu said simply. He glanced up at Fane and added, "No offense."

"You shouldn't come too close to me," Seras said. "You'll get in trouble."

Radu chuckled. "Relax, I told you in the cave, didn't I? I never had a chance. I'm over it."

Seras raised her eyebrows. "R-really?" she asked eagerly. "So... I suppose... that makes us friends?"

Radu thought for a moment, and then said, "Friends. That sounds about right."

Seras got to her feet, brushing her hand across the back of her lips.

"Thank you," Fane put in. "Our pack is indebted to you."

"Not at all!" Seras said quickly.

Fane shook his head. "You saved my son, and now you've saved me. When we return to our homes, just remember that you will always find an ally with us."

When Seras left the tent again, it was with Radu and Sandru, both walking just a step behind her and shooting annoyed glances at each other. She turned to them and said, "I should go now. I'm glad you're both alright."

With an extra glance at Radu, she added, "I'm sorry I almost killed you."

Radu grinned. "It would have been deserved."

She laughed softly and waved a final good bye before dashing towards the castle.

- - - - -

The wolf and the vampire stood side-by-side in the early evening air, admiring the form of the tiny Draculina bounding up the side of the cliffs.

_Friends, _Radu considered. Well, he could give it a try, if only for her sake.

To his left, he heard a low growl, and turned to see the young werewolf regarding him with dislike. Radu smirked and said, "Relax, _dog_. I'll leave her alone."

"I somehow doubt it," Sandru replied.

Radu laughed a little. "You and I should be the last men fighting."

"And why is that?" Sandru asked.

"Because we're in love with the same girl," Radu said with a shrug. "We, the rejected ones, should get along, don't you think? Stand together in our heartbreak, and support each other?"

"That's awfully sentimental for a blood sucker," Sandru said doubtfully.

"She does that to people," Radu replied. "Ironic, isn't it, that out of everyone she chose him, the foulest amongst us. She, who is probably the purest of any hell-creature."

"She's certainly unique," Sandru allowed.

"She's an enigma," Radu corrected. "To still be as innocent as she is, despite having killed hundreds. She is like nothing I've seen before. Oh, yes, in a battle she's devastating, but she could never betray someone or hurt an innocent. She could never scheme or manipulate those around her. She is, in the end, _good_."

"You truly are in love with her," Sandru said, eyes widening.

Radu raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you?"

Sandru huffed and turned away. "Vampires and werewolves are not meant to breed," he said firmly.

"Neither are humans and vampires, yet we encountered many dhampir last night," Radu said. "Not that it matters. She made her choice. All we can do is watch... and maybe hope that something kills him."

Sandru laughed. "Well, perhaps we can get along after all," he decided. "You're not so bad... for a vampire."

- - - - -

Seras found her mate still in their room, staring out the window at the newly dark sky. Smiling, she walked up beside him and leaned her head against his arm, following his gaze. His eyes were roaming the valley of Arefu, but seemed to linger primarily on the rows of bodies yet to be buried.

"I'm sorry," Seras murmured.

He tore his eyes away from the scenes beyond the window to glance down at her. "Why?" he asked. "What have you done this time?"

"It's my fault Walter's dead," she said, sighing. "I didn't protect him."

"He was there for _your_ protection," Alucard replied. "Not that it truly matters. He's not really gone. You drank his blood, didn't you?"

Seras nodded.

"Then what are you sorry for? If you want to apologize, then do so for almost getting yourself killed."

Seras sighed. "I'm always such a bother."

His arms went around her and pulled her forcefully into his chest. "Though you _are_ incredibly frustrating, I do not in any way regret having you as my bride," he said. "I've come to the conclusion that if you _had_ died, I might have had to give myself over to the enemy in the hopes that they would have found some way to kill me."

Seras scoffed. "Don't tease me right now," she said.

He grinned. "But why? Your reactions are so amusing."

Seras sighed and snuggled into his chest. "With this battle done... what will this mean for us? The draconists, I mean."

Alucard looked out the window once again. "A new era," he decided, watching the ever-darkening sky. "A world in which vampires live amongst the living, secretly of course, but without opposition. There will be work to do; we will have to slip into modern culture and work our way into seats of power, to keep the public eye away from us. Likewise, it will mean monitoring the creation of fledglings. We can't have rogues running all across Europe drawing attention to us. But ultimately, I believe the end of this war bodes for a promising future."

Seras smiled. "And... are you happy?"

"Satisfied is a better word," he replied. "Happiness is a rare emotion when you have lived as long as I have. Yet I find that it has become more and more common these days."

Seras blinked up at him. "Is it because you are free again?" she asked.

"No," he murmured, leaning towards her. "It's because I found _you_."

Her breath caught as she stared up into his eyes, their crimson gazes locked in a whirlwind of emotions. It was, without a doubt, the most intimate thing he had said to her, and had it been possible, her heart would have been pounding a thousand times a minute. She felt a surge of sentiments: love, shock, uncertainty, and above all, gratitude. She wondered if he knew how much his words meant to her.

His smile seemed to answer that. It was a smile unlike any she had seen from him, tender and... adoring? The softness was unfamiliar, yet it spread warmth through her body and made her wonder about dreams she had long since abandoned.

Alucard raised a hand to her face and moved his thumb slowly over her cheek bone. "I won't apologize," he said, "for treating you as I did. Then you were just a troublesome child. But now you are something else, something in every way vital to my existence. Listen closely, Seras, because I will only say this once- for your ears and for your sake only."

"Say what?" she asked, her breath held tight in her lungs.

"I love you," he stated, his eyes churning like lava, burning into her.

Seras frowned. "You don't believe in love," she said.

"I still don't," he replied. "But I've run out of ways to describe the depth of my attachment to you. A human's love is the closest thing, though even that pales miserably."

"_It is deeper and stronger than that. Proper mates will never leave each other, no matter how many years they live. It is a sort of bond they share, one of trust and understanding that goes beyond what even the most harmonious mortal couple can possess."_

Seras smiled slightly as Barbara's words floated through the back of her mind. "We don't have to call it love if you don't want to," she said. "I think you're right. I think love is a weak term for what is between us."

Alucard raised an eyebrow at her. "Isn't that what you've hoped for for so long? You waited five years for me to say "I love you" and now that I do, you consider it irrelevant? Did you not just say you loved me less than an hour ago? Or are you trying to say that I need you more than you need me?"

Seras laughed and shook her head. "You're impossible!" she said. "You know exactly how I feel at any given moment, and yet you still have the nerve to accuse me of being ungrateful? You know exactly what you are to me, and even now, you are only speaking for my benefit!"

He smirked. "You're _very _fun to toy with."

"You know," she said, sliding her hands upward and around his neck, "For a girl, it's actually a really big turn-on when you say _pleasant_ things for a change."

"You're still such a child," he complained.

"And you're an arrogant bastard," she replied. "What of it? I want you anyway."

Her grip on him grew eager, her entire body pressing into his.

"You haven't eaten in a while," he observed.

"You don't have to feed me to put me in the mood," she replied huskily.

"It still saves time," he said, smirking in that horribly self-satisfied way.

Hours later, when they lay side by side in the base of the open coffin, their bare bodies intertwined, Seras heard a quiet voice say, _Told you._

_Told me what?_ She asked her child, running her hands affectionately across her stomach.

_I could always see what you meant to him, even if you (or he for that matter) could not._

Seras smiled. _Congratulations, _she said sarcastically. _That's quite an accomplishment._

_Not really, _Cosmin replied. _Everyone could see. You two are both very stubborn._

_Yes, _she agreed, glancing fondly at her mate's sleeping face. _I suppose we are. At least we have something in common._

_That's not the only thing, _Cosmin pointed out.

_No?_ Seras asked. _What else?_

_Me, of course, _he said.

She restrained a laugh. _Yes, Cosmin. We both have you._

- - - - -

Alright, I know it was kinda fluffy... but fluffy's not so bad right? X I hope you all like it! Don't forget about the upcoming epilogue! Review!


	21. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

"Seven," Seras Victoria said, counting the mass of tiny children. "Sandru, how can you stand it?"

The werewolf, now thirty-four, chuckled and said, "It's not the same for us. Some litters get as large as ten. But Mirela and I are happy with this number. We think it's good for our first batch."

"You want _more_?!" Seras ask, horrified.

Sandru, sitting at a table in his kitchen, laughed and replied, "I remember there was a time when you wanted many children."

Seras' gaze flickered to the young boy standing beside the squirming pups and watching them with mild interest; he was tall for his age, pale and thin, with hair like a raven's feathers and large eyes as red as rubies. Smiling, she murmured, "You obviously don't know what it took to bring him into this world."

"I suppose not," Sandru allowed. "I'm not sure I want to."

"I should tell you anyway, to give you nightmares," Seras said, grinning evilly. "A vampiric pregnancy is a truly horrific thing!"

"I said I don't want to hear it," Sandru said, folding his arms with a huff.

"Well, you see, for several months the child lays dormant in the womb, little more than a spirit-"

"Seras, did you not-"

"And then in the final week before birth the child grows at rapid rates, eating it's mother from the inside out-"

"That's disgusting!" Sandru gasped, looking like he wanted to vomit.

"It gets better," Seras promised, her eyes glinting. "During the birth-!"

"Ah! I'm not listening!" Sandru said quickly, clapping his hands over his ears and jumping up from the table.

"-all the blood and the entrails-" Seras continued rising as well and moving closer to him.

"Seras!" he moaned.

"-and the bodies of the victims-"

"Mother."

Seras came to a halt as the young boy approached, his glittering eyes serious and calculating. "What is it, Cosmin?" she asked quickly.

He did not speak, but only pointed. In the open doorway to the house was a large black dog, staring at them with several pairs of crimson eyes.

Seras frowned. "He's early," she said.

"He's always early," Sandru complained.

Seras smiled apologetically. "It's still a wonder that he lets me come at all," she said, smiling. "Let's just be grateful for that."

"So when do you think you'll come back?" Sandru asked.

Seras thought for a moment. "Next month?" she suggested.

He shrugged. "I suppose that's alright. I'll miss you though. Mirela'll be disappointed that she missed you."

"Tell her I said hi," Seras replied. "And I'll miss you, too. Both of you."

She hugged him swiftly and warmly (not _too_ warmly, though, since Alucard's hell hound was still standing there) and then turned to leave. Cosmin walked just a step behind her, his eyes still moving around the room analytically.

Seras smiled at him once they were out doors. "Do you want to run?" she asked. "Or ride?"

Cosmin glance at the hell-hound warily. "Ride," he decided. "But Mother... could I ride on _your_ back. I don't like that one. It's not as pretty as you."

Seras laughed quietly. "And what shall I become today?"

"A dragon?" he suggested.

She giggled. "You know I can't do that."

"Fine," he huffed. "A big bird?"

"Cosmin, you know the rule. If you want to fly, you do it yourself."

"Mother..." he sighed. "Father will never know!"

"That's what _you_ think," she muttered, more to herself than to him.

"A walrus, then?" Cosmin asked.

Seras stared at him in alarm. "A walrus?" she repeated. "It would take years to get home."

The young vampire smirked in a way that made him look like a mirror image of his Father. "It would be funny though," he said.

"Evil child!" she hissed. "Just for that, you're running yourself!"

His smirk vanished to be replaced by a very sour expression. "Uncle lets me fly," he said indignantly.

"Your Uncle also happens to be an expert at mental barriers. To this day I've only ever seen his barriers fail once."

"They failed?" Cosmin asked in astonishment. "Why? What happened?"

"I... don't remember..." Seras said.

"You're an awful liar!" Cosmin said. "Tell me!"

"I don't answer to demands," his mother said firmly.

"Not _yours_ anyway," said a new voice.

Even after six years of living with him, Seras jumped in alarm at the suddenness of her mate's arrival. Cosmin sighed and shook his head at his mother's foolish actions.

"Father, will you tell me the story?" he asked. "Mother's lying again."

Alucard towered over his child. "What story?" he asked, grinning maliciously. The thick blush on his young bride's face seemed to speak volumes.

"About the one time Uncle Radu's barriers failed," Cosmin said unblinkingly.

"Ah, _that_," Alucard said, and his grin grew. "If you must know, Cosmin, your mother was a very naughty girl."

"Alucard," Seras warned.

His eyes shone playfully in her direction. "Perhaps you are not quite old enough for that story," he said to his son.

Seras looked at him suspiciously. "Why are you here anyway?" she asked.

"Is it a crime to come to ensure you make it safely home?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"We've never had trouble before. Of course, try telling Cosmin tha-"

"Mother!" Cosmin intervened, his face flaring up in an uncharacteristic blush.

Alucard raised an eyebrow at his son's rare humiliation.

_Seras?_

_He thought we were under attack, _she said, trying not to let her amusement show.

_And? Were you?_

_Well, if you consider a bunny in the bushes an 'attack'._

"Mother, you told!" Cosmin accused.

Seras laughed and picked him up, swinging him up onto her shoulders. "So, a big bird, right?" she asked cheerfully. "Or did you still want the walrus?"

Eagerly, Cosmin turned back to Alucard. "Father, can I?" he asked quickly.

Alucard walked up behind them, smirking, and pulled the boy from his wife's shoulders. "Why would you fly with your Mother?" he asked Cosmin. "I've seen the pathetic bird she becomes- slow and fragile. Why not fly with a real vampire for a change."

Cosmin's eyes lit up. "Can _you _become a dragon, Father?" he asked quickly.

"What do you think Draculae means?" Alucard asked, resting the boy on his own shoulders. "Do I look like a fledgling to you?"

"Is Mother a fledgling then?" Cosmin asked with a snicker.

"As good as," Alucard replied wickedly.

Seras propped her hands on her hips. "I'd be willing to bet I could beat the both of you home," she said.

"And what would you stake on that?" Alucard inquired, obviously pleased with the thought of a challenge.

"Stake?" she repeated. "What do I have that's my own?"

"A few things," he said. "A few people. If you lose, I think you should make me a new weapon."

"And me as well," Cosmin put in. "The last one you made only killed frogs!"

"And the new one will upgrade to butterflies," she said waspishly. "Fair enough. What do I get if I win?"

The men exchanged an amused, doubtful glance. "If you win," Alucard said, though he clearly thought it impossible, "I will teach you a trick. Any one you like."

Seras thought for a moment. "You'll cheat," she decided. "You'll generate portals."

"I'll be good," he promised. She doubted that.

"Fine, first one back-"

In a burst of shadows and wings, Alucard reared up in the shape of a elegant, ebony dragon and leaped into the sky, his son clinging to his neck and laughing merrily. The two soared high, doing back flips and somersaults, the taste of victory fueling their glee.

But before even a minute had past, there was a gust of wind and something whizzed passed, throwing Alucard off course. He glared ahead of him, wondering what had upset his progress, and saw a long, golden creature carving it's way through the air, moonlight glinting on it's many scales and flashing on it's perfectly formed wings.

"Father!" Cosmin gasped. "Is that...?"

"It seems we underestimated her," Alucard agreed, hiding his frustration with mirth.

"She... she can't win, can she?" Cosmin asked uncertainly.

Alucard shot a quick glare over his massive shoulder. "This is your Mother we're talking about. But just to be on the safe side..."

A portal opened into the sky and they quickly passed through it, leaving the night as still as if they had never been there.

- - - - -

Well, I'd just like to thank you all for reading this story, and I hope you all enjoyed. I'll apologize again for the times when I didn't update quickly (or for months, but that's not the point). So that's it for now.

Until the next story!

-Anonymouys Psychofan


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